Athletes in Action breakfast to honor pair with new awards

The seventh annual Athletes In Action Call to Courage Award Breakfast, which will be held at 9 a.m. Saturday, April 19 in the Grand Ballroom of the Hyatt Regency Hotel in downtown Buffalo, will for the first time present a special award to a football player from the University at Buffalo and a football player from a Western New York area high school.

Former Buffalo Bills' quarterback Frank Reich will present the collegiate version of the Call to Courage Award to University at Buffalo offensive linemen Jon Burgio. The 6-foot-9, 359-pound senior from Clarence is being recognized for his leadership on the field, on the campus and in the community.

Five finalists have also been selected for the inaugural Western New York High School Call To Courage Leadership Award. Reich will announce the winner and present the award at the breakfast.

Michael Brown, an 18-year-old senior offensive and defensive lineman from St. Mary's of Lancaster High School, is one of the five finalists. All five nominees have met the criteria of not only being a great student athlete but also exemplifying outstanding character, commitment and leadership on and off the field.

The highlight of the event will be the presentation of the 2008 Call To Courage Award to two-time NFLMVP and Super Bowl MVP Kurt Warner, quarterback of the Arizona Cardinals.

Master of Ceremonies for the Call To Courage Award Breakfast will be former Buffalo Bills' all-pro Steve Tasker, who is a color commentator for CBS coverage of the NFL.

The Western New York Athletes In Action Call to Courage Award breakfast is the second largest breakfast event of its kind next to the Athletes In Action Super Bowl Breakfast, which is held every year in the host city for the Super Bowl the Saturday morning before the Sunday Super Bowl.

Tickets are $35 each and a table of 10 is $350. For more information, call 559-1800 or visit www. aiabuffalo. com.