Olympic Athletes to Speak to Local Students

The Joetta Clark Diggs Sports Foundation, Inc., is holding its 7th Annual Sports Extravaganza Friday at the to honor local athletes and Olympians.

The VIP reception will be held from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., where featured athletes will sign autographs. That will be followed by the program, dinner and dancing from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.

The affair also serves as a major fundraiser for the foundation, which promotes involvement in athletics for girls and boys in grades kindergarten through 12.

After last year’s event—which saw more than 400 attendees, and Olympians including six-time Olympic Medalist Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Super Bowl Champion Bart Oates and more—another host of athletes have agreed to share information about their careers.

This year, there will be more than 15 athletes at the event, speaking about their struggles and triumphs, while also answering questions from families and athletes in the audience.

Included in this year’s lineup are host four-time Olympian Joetta Clark Diggs; Gold Medalist, World Champion and five-time Golden Glove Boxer Mark Breland; New York Jets running back, kick returner and 1980 Jets’ MVP Bruce Harper; two-time Gold Medalist, five-time Olympian, World Champion and USA Track & Field Hall of Fame Inductee Jearl Miles Clark; and Negro League Baseball Pitcher, seven-time World Champion, All Star and MVP winner Pedro Sierra.

The theme for this year’s program is “Down Memory Lane,” with athletes honored for excellence both on and off the field.

Several high school students are also going to be honored as final recipients for $1,000 and a laptop through the foundation.

Those students being recognized are David Pulsifer, of Hillsborough High School; Abisola Adewolu, of Ridgefield Park Junior-Senior High School; Ashley Ezema, of Hunterdon Central Regional High School; and Dalvona Amani, of East Orange Campus High School.

In addition, Elisabeth Withers, a recording artist and Broadway Tony nominee, will be featured at the event.

The Joetta Clark Diggs Sports Foundation, Inc., which is sponsoring the event, provides programs that teach good health, financial responsibility and positive work ethics through participating in sports.

For more information about the program, visit joettasportsandbeyond.com.