Courtesy the SMU Daily Campus

(January 28, 2011) The seventh annual Legends for Charity Dinner comes to Dallas Feb. 3 at the Hilton Anatole, which is serving as the NFL Headquarters hotel during Super Bowl XLV weekend.

At the star-studded dinner, former NFL placekicker and television sportscaster Pat Summerall will present the Pat Summerall Award to the NFL on FOX on air team that will broadcast Super Bowl XLV.

Accepting the 2011 award will be FOX Sports personalities Troy Aikman, Jimmy Johnson, Terry Bradshaw, Joe Buck, Jay Glazer, Howie Long, Curt Menefee, Pam Oliver and Michael Strahan. Buck, the lead play-by-play broadcaster, will serve as the ceremony host.

The annual Legends for Charity Dinner was developed by former NFL cheerleader Cheryl DeLeonardis, who cheered for the Miami Dolphins in three Super Bowl games. The dinner first honored Summerall in 2005, just six months after his life was saved from a liver transplant.

Since then, Summerall has annually presented his namesake award on Super Bowl weekend at the NFL's headquarters hotel in the host city "to celebrate the accomplishments of a deserving individual for their accomplishments on and off the field."

Summerall believes the NFL on FOX is a deserving recipient of the award that bears his name because of the charitable contributions they have made outside of the broadcasting booth.

"The NFL on FOX created a charitable program a few years ago called FOX Sports Supports," Summerall said. "They collectively as a network are making a tremendous difference in the lives of those charities who benefit from their selection"

This is the first time a network has ever received this influential accolade. Past recipients include James Brown, Greg Gumbel, Jim Nantz, Chris Berman and Cris Collinworth. Presenting his award to the NFL on FOX will be somewhat of a treat for Summerall who wrapped up his NFL broadcasting career with the network in 2007.

"It will be a once in a lifetime honor for me to present this award that bears my name to them," Summerall said. "I know a network has never been honored during the Super Bowl in the past so it is a first for all of us."

This year's charity event will honor St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, the official charity of the 2010 season of the NFL on FOX by showcasing the lifesaving research and treatment done at St. Jude.

"I cannot express enough what a life altering experience it is. Their dedication and focus on saving lives is remarkable," Summerall said of St. Jude. "Their efforts and breakthroughs in finding a cure for childhood cancer are shared freely around the world."

No child is ever denied treatment at St. Jude even in the case of a lack of family funding. St. Jude is the only pediatric cancer research center where insurance coverage is not a problem. Even if the insurance does not cover treatment, families will never have to pay.

St. Jude received the number one children's cancer hospital ranking in the nation by U.S. News & World Report.

"In 1962 when the hospital opened the survival rate for childhood Leukemia was 4 percent - now thanks to their research efforts the survival rate is 94 percent," Summerall said. "I am very proud that this annual event brings a huge spotlight on their efforts and hope that it brings many more people to start and continue to support this great charity."

The ceremonial dinner is open to the public and will be one of many events creating a buzz in the DFW Metroplex prior to Super Bowl XLV on Feb. 6. Summerall, who resides in Southlake, Texas, is proud that this year's Legends for Charity Dinner is coming to Dallas.

"We travel each year to the Legends for Charity Dinner, so to present this award in the city where we reside is very special," he said. "There is always a high level of excitement in the city where the game is and we have felt it in Dallas for quite a while now."

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