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The Honolulu Advertiser

Posted on: Friday, January 28, 2005

ISLE FILE
LaBoy gives $80,000 in support of autism

Advertiser Staff

Former University of Hawai'i football standout and current Tennessee Titans defensive end Travis LaBoy will sign autographs and present an $80,000 check to his foundation that supports autism.

Travis LaBoy

The autograph session will be 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Pacific Autism Center, 670 Auahi St.

The Travis LaBoy Foundation for Supporting Autistic Causes and Kids (SACK) was created to support educational, recreational and physical activities for children with autism and their families.

Donations made during the autograph session will benefit the Pacific Autism Center, which offers individualized services and training toward autism programs.

To honor LaBoy's trainer, whose son was diagnosed with non-verbal autism, the former UH star used part of his NFL signing bonus to start his foundation.



Farrington's Lauvao headed to Arizona St.

Farrington offensive lineman Shaun Lauvao, one of the state's most heavily recruited high school football players, has verbally committed to Arizona State University.

The announcement was made by Doris Sullivan, director of Pacific Islands Athletic Alliance, which provides services for Hawai'i and American Samoa high school athletes. Services include securing scholarships, placement and SAT preparation.

Lauvao, a 6-foot-3, 300-pounder with a qualifying SAT score, was a second-team Advertiser all-state selection.

He also was being recruited by Hawai'i, Brigham Young, Cal, Utah and Washington.

Wednesday is the first day football recruits may sign binding national letters of intent with NCAA schools.



Season ticket holder appreciation weekend

University of Hawai'i baseball will hold Season Ticket Holder Appreciation Weekend for the season-series opener against Alabama on Feb. 10-13 at Les Murakami Stadium.

All UH season-ticket holders in baseball, basketball, football and volleyball are qualified for two-for-one ticket purchases beginning Feb. 7, when individual tickets go on sale at the Stan Sheriff Center box office.

The promotion is part of a season-long campaign called Take Me Back To The Ball Game.

Season tickets for the blue and orange sections are $185, plus a $60 premium. Adult season tickets in the red section are $145 and $120 for senior citizens (65 years and older). Season tickets for UH students with valid UH IDs and students ages 4-18 are $110.

Besides the Sheriff Center, tickets may be purchased online at HawaiiAthleics.com or at 944-2697.

Baseball's annual fund-raiser, the Grand Slam Celebration, is 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Sheriff Center. For information, call the baseball office at 956-6247.



Speed and Quickness this weekend at UH

The Hawai'i Speed and Quickness training clinic is planning sessions tomorrow and Sunday at the University of Hawai'i athletic complex.

For $10, each participant receives a Jamba Juice coupon and instruction from program directors Rich Miano and Mel deLaura. In addition to the usual drills, this weekend's sessions feature special workouts designed to improve acceleration and movement.

The first session each day is open to ages 7-12, and runs from 8:30 to 10 a.m. The second session, for ages 13 and older, is from 10:30 a.m. to noon.

The upcoming sessions are: Feb. 5, 6, 19, 20; March 5, 6, 19, 20; April 2, 3, 16, 17; and May 7, 8, 21, 22.

For information, call 739-5444 or log on to www.hawaiispeedandquickness.com.



'Surf for Sumatra' event raises $3,800

The Wave Riding Vehicles "Surf for Sumatra" event raised more than $3,800 on Sunday at Sunset Beach.

Event director Reid Inouye said surfers of all ages and abilities were invited to surf in a 45-minute heat for $35. He said no more than eight surfers were placed in each heat.

"It's worth it just to get to surf at Sunset with only seven other guys out," Inouye said. "But it's also for a good cause."

Several of Hawai'i's top professional surfers participated in the event, including Kalani Robb, Dustin Cuizon and Gavin Beschen.

All proceeds will be donated to Surf Aid International, which is assisting the victims of the recent tsunami disaster in Asia.

Sumatra and the islands surrounding it are popular destinations for surfers from around the world.



Ocean Club will host fund-raiser for Look

A fund-raiser to help offset medical costs for canoe paddler Leighton Look will be held Sunday at Ocean Club from 5 to 10 p.m.

Look, a longtime coach and paddler for Hui Lanakila Canoe Club, has been in Kuakini Medical Center since mid-October because of a diving accident. A severe case of the bends has left him paralyzed from the neck down.

The fund-raiser will feature live and silent auctions for several items, including one-person canoes, canoe paddles, surfboards, and interisland trips. There will also be live entertainment, and drink and food specials.

Admission is $10 per person. All proceeds and donations will go to the Friends of Leighton Look account at First Hawaiian Bank.



'San Francisco 49ers' author at book signing

No San Francisco 49ers were named to the Pro Bowl for the first time since 1980, but that's doesn't mean one of Hawai'i's more popular teams won't have a presence during Pro Bowl week.

Martin Jacobs, author of the "San Francisco 49ers," which chronicles the history of the franchise, will hold a book signing 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 12, at the Honolulu Borders Books.

The Pro Bowl is Sunday, Feb. 13, at Aloha Stadium.

The book costs $19.99. The signing will last until about 3 p.m. For information, call 808-591-8995.



Somerville Purpura in charge of USTA youth

Three-time Hawai'i state high school champion Betsy Somerville Purpura is the new Director of Youth Competition at the U.S. Tennis Association-Hawai'i Pacific Section.

Purpura recently returned to Hawai'i after living in New Jersey, where she was head coach of the women's tennis team at Seton Hall. She is active on the USTA's national marketing committee, the NCAA and ITA ranking committees and is a certified USPTA Pro with a Level 1 rating.

After winning championships at Punahou and La Pietra in the early 1980s, Purpura played for the University of Arizona. The Wildcats' captain was an All-American in 1988 and played on the women's pro tour from 1991 to '93, reaching the main draw in doubles at the French Open.