BALDWIN, SR. RECEIVES HIGH HONOR 

CYSTIC FIBROSIS FOUNDATION HONORS HOWARD BALDWIN, SR. AS 2011 COMMUNITY LEADER OF THE YEAR

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Will be Saluted at November 12 “Sportscasters’ Super Ball”

Whalers Sports & Entertainment (WSE) announced today that its Chairman and CEO Howard Baldwin, Sr. will be honored by the Connecticut chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation as its 2011 Community Leader of the Year.

The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation will officially declare the honor November 12 at its Tenth Annual “Sportscasters’ Super Ball” Gala at The Club at Rentschler Field.

The  Sportscasters’ Gala was established in 2002 by ESPN’s Joe Tessitore and Chris Berman to celebrate Connecticut’s rich sports history.  Since its inception, the Gala has raised much needed research funds for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. The Sportscasters’ Super Ball is a black-tie event that commemorates Connecticut’s rich sports history, its athletes and community leaders.

Baldwin joins the company of such past Community Leader honorees as philanthropist Mark Wilson, The Hartford CFO Liz Zlatkus, Open Solutions CEO Louis Hernandez and IAE president Jon Beatty.  Among former Sportscasters’ Super Ball sports honorees are Brian Leetch, Geno Auriemma, Jen Rizzotti, Jim Brown, Steve Young, Luis Tiant and Dwight Freeney.

“Howard Baldwin’s remarkable commitment to Connecticut’s professional sports history, which spans five decades, is legendary. Through his unwavering leadership Mr. Baldwin has indeed helped make Connecticut a whale of a state,” said Paul Drury, Director of Special Projects, Connecticut Chapter Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

Tickets to the Sportscasters’ Super Ball event, as well as information on how to get involved, are available by contacting Drury at (860) 632-7300 or pdrury@cff.org. Dinner, Dancing and auctions highlight the evening.

The Whale’s 2011-12 season Home Opener is Saturday, October 15, a GEICO Connecticut Cup game vs. the Bridgeport Sound Tigers at the XL Center.  Tickets to that game, and all 2011-12 Whale home games, are on sale now at the Public Power Ticket Office at the XL Center, as well as on-line at www.ctwhale.com and through TicketMaster Charge-by-phone at 1-800-745-3000.

Save on your tickets, and get the best seats, with a ticket plan for the Whale’s 2011-12 AHL campaign, which are on sale now. For information on season seats and mini plans, visit www.ctwhale.com, or call the CT Whale ticket office at (860) 728-3366 to talk with an account executive today.