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NS Rotary among those who honor Craig Biggio
  
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By MATT HOLLIS
What can you say about Craig Biggio that has not already been said? He spent 20 years in the Houston Astros uniform and ranks 20th all-time with 3,060 career hits. He is the ninth player in history to make 3,000 hits with the same team and the 27th baseball player to reach that milestone. Add in seven All-Star Game appearances, as well as a World Series appearance, and there is a great candidate for the Baseball Hall of Fame.
The Rotary Club of Houston honored Biggio at the 47th Annual Rotary Distinguished Citizen Award banquet Nov. 10 at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Houston. The event coincided with the United States Marines’ 233rd anniversary and Helpingahero.org’s efforts to present a wounded veteran with a free custom-built home. Members of the North Shore Rotary Club were on hand for the event.
Former President George Herbert Walker Bush, who was an honorary chairman of the event, spoke to Biggio through a pre-taped video.
“You have enriched Houston is so many ways,” Bush said. “You were always in the game. You are a good guy. We are so proud of you.”
The event was co-chaired by Meredith Iler and former Harris County Judge Robert Eckels. Iler is chairman of the Helping a Hero’s Wounded Hero Home program. Michael Berry, talk show host on 740 KTRH, was the Master of Ceremonies.
“(Biggio) is a man of honor and integrity,” Iler said. “I think all of us as parents want good role models for our children. You can look to Craig as that role model.”
Berry concurred with Iler about Biggio being a good role model in the professional sports world.
“We are here tonight to honor a guy that, according to many sports writers, is the best player in professional baseball,” Berry said. “ When we lived in his neighborhood, kids would go to his house on Halloween and he would answer the door. It meant so much to those kids. A little known fact about Biggio. Until four years ago, he was the leading high school running back in New Jersey football history.”
One of Biggio’s highlights in his career is not really baseball related. His involvement with the Sunshine Kids, a support organization for children with cancer and their families, has been outstanding, according to those who know him.
“He has made a dramatic change in the lives of so many kids,” said actor G.W. Bailey, who is also executive director of the Sunshine Kids. “Thank you for honoring this extraordinary young man, his wife and his family. They have made huge differences in these kid’s lives.”
Drayton McLane, Houston Astros owner and another honorary co-chair for the event, also came to honor Biggio.
“Talk about the people you admire and respect,” McLane said. “He was one of the treasures of the Houston Astros. Baseball has been around for about 130 years with hundreds of thousands of players. Craig is only the 27th to reach 3,000 hits. That is so unusual in the age of free agency for a player to do that with a single team. I thank you. You continue to make a positive difference in our lives.”
Fr. Phil Lloyd of St. Theresa Catholic Church also spoke about Biggio’s contributions to the sports world and to his faith.
The award humbled Biggio himself.
“I am very appreciative,” Biggio said. “All I wanted to do as a kid was play baseball. I did for one city for 20 years. I have a motto. Be true to yourself, your family and your friends. That is the same as Rotary’s motto – service above self. I am truly blessed and honored.”
Jim Gilbert, a North Shore Rotary member, was on hand for the event.
“Biggio is an outstanding individual and contributor to the community,” Gilbert said. “He is a great role model for both kids and adults. He has been selfless in contributing his time to his favorite projects, such as the Sunshine Kids.”
Travis LaGrone, Rotary Club of Houston president, and Gary Tolbert, Rotary Club of Houston Foundation president, assisted in giving Biggio the award.
The event ended with a special surprise presentation to Capt. Daniel Moran, a Houstonian who was wounded in Iraq while serving in the Marine Corps. Moran learned he is the recipient of a custom-built home that is going to be in the northwest side of Houston.
Congresswoman Shelia Jackson Lee, and Dr. Michael McKinney, chancellor of the Texas A&M University System, participated in the presentation to Moran.
Moran received the home through Helpingahero.org’ s program of giving homes to wounded veterans. They have given several homes to veterans including to Sgt. Richard Massimino and his family in the Summerwood Subdivision near West Lake Houston Parkway. The North Shore Rotary Club and students in the North Shore Middle School’s Scholars Academy contributed to Massimino’s new home.
“It’s not the government that solves problems, it is people like the Rotary that does,” Eckels said. “The North Shore Rotary is strong in its community and has some great leaders in the community. They give back to those leaders who are the ground working everyday.”
Many others contributed to helping the Massimino’s have a new home. Tapco Enpro, B.J. Westbrook, the Woodforest National Bank Foundation, Dr. William Fagan, Foster Fence and John Painter all contributed $10,000 toward the home. The Alumni of GPISD, Intra-Services, Inc., Trevor Ling and the Stanford Financial Group contributed $5,000. The Saunders Foundation donated $3,000 while Bill Parker and the employees of Abletek donated $2,000. Several other individuals and organizations contributed $1,000.
Anyone interested in donating funds for a home for a wounded soldier can log on to www.helpingahero.org.
The Rotary Club of Houston honored Biggio at the 47th Annual Rotary Distinguished Citizen Award banquet Nov. 10 at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Houston. The event coincided with the United States Marines’ 233rd anniversary and Helpingahero.org’s efforts to present a wounded veteran with a free custom-built home. Members of the North Shore Rotary Club were on hand for the event.
Former President George Herbert Walker Bush, who was an honorary chairman of the event, spoke to Biggio through a pre-taped video.
“You have enriched Houston is so many ways,” Bush said. “You were always in the game. You are a good guy. We are so proud of you.”
The event was co-chaired by Meredith Iler and former Harris County Judge Robert Eckels. Iler is chairman of the Helping a Hero’s Wounded Hero Home program. Michael Berry, talk show host on 740 KTRH, was the Master of Ceremonies.
“(Biggio) is a man of honor and integrity,” Iler said. “I think all of us as parents want good role models for our children. You can look to Craig as that role model.”
Berry concurred with Iler about Biggio being a good role model in the professional sports world.
“We are here tonight to honor a guy that, according to many sports writers, is the best player in professional baseball,” Berry said. “ When we lived in his neighborhood, kids would go to his house on Halloween and he would answer the door. It meant so much to those kids. A little known fact about Biggio. Until four years ago, he was the leading high school running back in New Jersey football history.”
One of Biggio’s highlights in his career is not really baseball related. His involvement with the Sunshine Kids, a support organization for children with cancer and their families, has been outstanding, according to those who know him.
“He has made a dramatic change in the lives of so many kids,” said actor G.W. Bailey, who is also executive director of the Sunshine Kids. “Thank you for honoring this extraordinary young man, his wife and his family. They have made huge differences in these kid’s lives.”
Drayton McLane, Houston Astros owner and another honorary co-chair for the event, also came to honor Biggio.
“Talk about the people you admire and respect,” McLane said. “He was one of the treasures of the Houston Astros. Baseball has been around for about 130 years with hundreds of thousands of players. Craig is only the 27th to reach 3,000 hits. That is so unusual in the age of free agency for a player to do that with a single team. I thank you. You continue to make a positive difference in our lives.”
Fr. Phil Lloyd of St. Theresa Catholic Church also spoke about Biggio’s contributions to the sports world and to his faith.
The award humbled Biggio himself.
“I am very appreciative,” Biggio said. “All I wanted to do as a kid was play baseball. I did for one city for 20 years. I have a motto. Be true to yourself, your family and your friends. That is the same as Rotary’s motto – service above self. I am truly blessed and honored.”
Jim Gilbert, a North Shore Rotary member, was on hand for the event.
“Biggio is an outstanding individual and contributor to the community,” Gilbert said. “He is a great role model for both kids and adults. He has been selfless in contributing his time to his favorite projects, such as the Sunshine Kids.”
Travis LaGrone, Rotary Club of Houston president, and Gary Tolbert, Rotary Club of Houston Foundation president, assisted in giving Biggio the award.
The event ended with a special surprise presentation to Capt. Daniel Moran, a Houstonian who was wounded in Iraq while serving in the Marine Corps. Moran learned he is the recipient of a custom-built home that is going to be in the northwest side of Houston.
Congresswoman Shelia Jackson Lee, and Dr. Michael McKinney, chancellor of the Texas A&M University System, participated in the presentation to Moran.
Moran received the home through Helpingahero.org’ s program of giving homes to wounded veterans. They have given several homes to veterans including to Sgt. Richard Massimino and his family in the Summerwood Subdivision near West Lake Houston Parkway. The North Shore Rotary Club and students in the North Shore Middle School’s Scholars Academy contributed to Massimino’s new home.
“It’s not the government that solves problems, it is people like the Rotary that does,” Eckels said. “The North Shore Rotary is strong in its community and has some great leaders in the community. They give back to those leaders who are the ground working everyday.”
Many others contributed to helping the Massimino’s have a new home. Tapco Enpro, B.J. Westbrook, the Woodforest National Bank Foundation, Dr. William Fagan, Foster Fence and John Painter all contributed $10,000 toward the home. The Alumni of GPISD, Intra-Services, Inc., Trevor Ling and the Stanford Financial Group contributed $5,000. The Saunders Foundation donated $3,000 while Bill Parker and the employees of Abletek donated $2,000. Several other individuals and organizations contributed $1,000.
Anyone interested in donating funds for a home for a wounded soldier can log on to www.helpingahero.org.
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