"Savor the Grape 2010" Just Two Days Away

The visibility of high-profile athletes always lends star power to charitable fundraising events.

When those high-profile athletes are raising money for a well-known entity in the name of a teammate who was gunned down by gang violence, the combination touches everybody in an emotional and powerful way.

Denver Broncos all-pro cornerback Champ Bailey and retired all-pro safety John Lynch, now an NFL game analyst for FOX, were teammates with Darrent Williams in 2005-06 after the young Oklahoma State product was drafted by the Denver Broncos. Williams became a starter at cornerback in his rookie season, and made enough big plays to serve notice he had a bright future ahead of him on the gridiron.

Williams also made an impact on teammates with his perpetually positive attitude, permanent smile and his patented phrase "All Ready," which personified his eagerness to give his all in any situation--practice, games, you name it, he was ready.

When that bright future was snuffed out by a gangster's bullet in the early hours of New Year's Day 2007 in downtown Denver, it stunned the Denver community and the Broncos family, and left a void they knew they would never fill. As media relations director for that Broncos team, I can affirm that Darrent Williams was special. I had the good fortune to work with a great collection of first-class guys and team players in my 13 years with the team, and "D-Will" was unique in his ability to pick guys up with that extra spark he provided. Small in stature but big in spirit, he played the game with confidence, desire and talent that overcame his measurables.

Three-plus years after Darrent's death, some measure of closure was achieved with the March 2010 trial and conviction of Willie Clark. Nothing will bring Darrent back, but I can still remember in those solemn, painful days after the murder, the biggest questions on players' minds were "do they have any leads," and "do they have a suspect." Finally, justice was served.

Against that backdrop, Bailey and Lynch were steadfast in their desire to "get back to talking about how Darrent lived, not how he died." The 2010 Savor the Grape fundraiser was the product of that desire, and they both were certain--as they were for the first such event in 2008--that raising money for Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver was the right way to honor their friend and former teammate. Providing a positive place for kids was the way to work to prevent the very type of gang violence that claimed their friend's life.

Particular meaningful was the fact that Darrent grew up attending Boys & Girls Clubs in Fort Worth, Texas, and was a regular visitor to mentor kids at three different branches of the Clubs in metro Denver: Owens, Johnson and the Denver Broncos branch. In addition, Lynch was a participant in Boys & Girls Clubs programs in the San Diego area in his youth.

This is a cause and an event that is special not only to those players who were fortunate to be teammates of Darrent Williams, but Broncos players past and present. From those 2005-06 teams, Rod Smith, Al Wilson, Ebenezer Ekuban and Charlie Adams are among those expected to attend Monday night's event. A number of current players, as well as some from previous Broncos teams--Alfred Williams and Mark Schlereth--are expected to attend.

Far and away the most special guest of the night will be Darrent's mother, Rosalind Williams, who we are honored to have attend, as we were in 2008.

The event will feature live and silent auctions with a wide array of special sports memorabilia, including some one-of-a-kind auction items and experiences from the Colorado Avalanche, Denver Broncos, Denver Nuggets and Colorado Rockies.

More than anything, this event is the living example of Darrent Williams' friends and teammates staying true to the vow they made in those dark days of early 2007 to make sure Darrent Williams' name is not forgotten, and to make an impact on children in his name.

This story is bigger than a sports story, but it's a positive sports story in 2010 that fans, media and the community should embrace to restore their faith in professional athletes amidst the litany of negative stories we are bombarded with each day.

Here's a big salute to Champ Bailey, John Lynch, their teammates who support their effort, and the community that has supported this event through their sponsorships and tickets purchased.

The stage is set, the stars are aligned. Now it's time to get back to celebrating the way Darrent lived, not how he died. Bring a smile to someone's face today in his honor.

Here are some links to recent media stories about the event:

Sept. 17, 2010--9News 6 a.m.: Champ Bailey Remembers Darrent Williams

Sept. 16, 2010--Champ Bailey on FM 104.3 The Fan w/Alfred Williams, Mark Schlereth & D-Mac

Sept. 15, 2010--Denver Post column by Dave Krieger

Below is an assortment of recent quotes from Champ Bailey & John Lynch illustrating why this cause and this event are so meaningful to them:

JOHN LYNCH, 9/15/10, courtesy of 87.7 FM The Ticket with Vic Lombardi & Gary Miller:
"It's only right to continue to do something that we all vowed to do when our good friend passed away, and that’s to remember his life."

"People who knew Darrent Williams know he cared a lot about this community. He spent a lot of time at the Boys & Girls Club. Now, down at the Broncos Boys & Girls Club there’s a teen center in his name."

"We lost a good friend and teammate, Darrent Williams, but we can do something positive in his memory, and that’s to help these kids have a positive place. We want to carry on what he started and keep that message alive."

CHAMP BAILEY, 9/17/10, courtesy of 9News:
"At this point, I still can't believe it happened (Darrent's death). It's pretty simple: We had a guy here, Darrent Williams, that we all kind of fell in love with as far as what he did for us and the type of person he was, and to lose him like that at a young age, it's real senseless."

"Darrent was really involved in the Boys & Girls Club, so this is kind of a way of honoring his name, keeping his name and memory alive and making people realize that we can make a difference (helping) these young kids and teenagers."

(regarding the March 2010 trial of Willie Clark, and his conviction)
"That was probably the toughest part of it, because you're looking at another young kid who did what he did. And now, going forward, it's like, 'How can we prevent that? How can we prevent kids from being like the way this guys is.' Definitely justice was served by getting the conviction but we can't bring D-Will back, so obviously the best thing for us to do is try to build better characters in the community."

--Paul Kirk/ProLink Sports
www.prolinksports.net
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