Dukes Serve Fund-Raiser for O.C. Sports

A signed Jimmy Connors photograph, center court seats to Wimbledon ’93 and use of a Jaguar for six months were among the “Priceless Temptations” up for bid last week at the Newport Beach Dukes’ third annual auction.

A crowd of about 300, many of them professional athletes, attended the auction and buffet dinner at the Four Seasons in Newport Beach. The $75-per-person event was expected to raise more than $30,000 for the Orange County Sports Hall of Fame and UC Irvine Athletic Fund.

Sports Fans

“The great thing about this event is it’s one part of the (sports) family helping the other part,” said Greg Patton, coach of the Dukes.

The Dukes is a team of professional tennis players that competes with 11 other teams during the month between the Wimbledon and U.S. Open competitions. The team is first in the league.

“I’m tickled to death the Dukes are doing well,” said tennis pro Vic Braden.

Braden, who runs a tennis college in Coto de Caza, was honored at the auction for his contributions to the world of tennis.

Tennis, Anyone?

The highlight of the live auction was the bidding for the coveted trip to Wimbledon, a “priceless temptation” because it included the center court seats belonging to Billie Jean King that are reserved for past Wimbledon champions. Jack Lindquist, president of Disneyland, made the winning bid of $12,000 for the trip.

Before the auction, guests made their way down a long buffet table, where gleaming silver trays were filled with an eclectic mix of Four Seasons specialties: bacon and onion quiche, chicken with Oriental sauce, taquitos, vegetable tempura, tortellini in cream sauce and pasta with sun-dried tomatoes.

Proceeds will help build the Orange County Sports Hall of Fame, which will adjoin Anaheim Stadium. Ground-breaking is scheduled to begin this month.

“Fifty-eight (Orange County) athletes have been inducted in the last 11 years, and there’s no place for their plaques, trophies and memorabilia,” said Don Andersen, executive director of the Orange County Sports Assn., which is overseeing the hall’s building fund.

Other proceeds will go to the UCI Athletic Fund to help save the struggling UCI track and field program. The fund must raise $50,000 by Aug. 21 for the program to continue another year.

“The program is in desperate shape. I’m just trying to do what I can,” said Fred Lieberman, owner of the Dukes.

Among the guests were Dukes general manager Barbara Kushner, Rikard Bergh, Laurie Class, former Angel Doug DeCinces, Kevin Forth, Richard Gartrell, Gerald Garner, Norm Lindauer, Horace Mitchell, Paul Salata, Steve Scott, Pat Weiss, Lee West, Lisa Whaley and Linda Zeller.