The biggest night in sports achievement is back! The 84th Dapper Dan Dinner & Sports Auction will celebrate the best accomplishments in Pittsburgh sports on February 10th at the Wyndham Grand Downtown. The event will feature over 50 local sports celebs, both pro and college. This year’s awards features Steelers play-by-play announcer Bill Hillgrove, head coach Mike Tomlin, defensive end Cameron Heyward, and the University of Pittsburgh Women’s Volleyball team. KDKA’s Bob Pompeani will emcee the event.
The Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to the Pittsburgh Steelers and Pitt Panthers broadcasting legend Bill Hillgrove. Hillgrove has been the voice of the Steelers since 1994, where he has called so many exciting and heartbreaking games on WDVE. He’s also the Pitt basketball and football broadcaster. Hillgrove began calling Pitt basketball games in 1969, which led to doing play-by-play with Pitt football in 1974.
Cameron Heyward will receive the Sportsman of the Year Award. The Steelers defensive end had one of his best years ever this past season. Heyward had 9 sacks and was selected for the Pro-Bowl for the second straight year.
Sportswomen of the Year goes to the University of Pittsburgh Women’s Volleyball team. The team captured their third consecutive ACC Championship, along with their first undefeated conference record in 15 years, leading them to the number 2 ranking in the country–their highest ranking ever.
The Dr. Freddie Fu Sports Leadership Award, which honors the best in leadership, will be presented to Mike Tomlin. After this season, it’s easy to see how Tomlin would win this one. The Steelers had injuries all over the roster, and they still went 8-8. Tomlin previously won the Dapper Dan Sportsman of the year in 2008.
The event also includes a live auction–last year there were awesome trips, including a trip where you accompany Penguins personnel to an away game, and a Steelers away game too! You can also bid on awesome sports memorabilia. The event raises money for the Boys & Girls Club of Western Pennsylvania and other local charities.
General tickets are $150 each and sponsorship packages, which include a sponsor reception with the sports celebrities, start at $2,500. For more tickets and more information, visit post-gazette.com/dapperdan20 or call 412-263-3850.
This content was provided by a local, independent contributor to Made in PGH, a lifestyle blog.