On November 8, a number of professional athletes, a handful of entertainers, a Sports Illustrated model or two and a smattering of the super-rich enjoyed themselves for a good cause at the upscale and exclusive Lavo restaurant in New York City. The elite luxury firm Lautrec and Athletes Quarterly magazine hosted the event on behalf of the Children's Tumor Foundation. Among those in attendance were New York Yankees outfielder Curtis Granderson; Gerris Wilkinson and Terrell Thomas of the New York Giants; and Michael Dolan, editor-in-chief of Athletes Quarterly.
More than ever, we are seeing professional athletes devote their time and energy to charitable causes. Some of them have established their own foundations. Granderson's Grand Kids Foundation was founded in 2007 with the goal of improving the educational experience for children nationwide. It also aims to create baseball opportunities for inner-city kids. This commitment by many professional athletes to give back not only directly provides financial resources to many worthy causes; the behavior acts as a role model for others.