CHESAPEAKE, VA (WTKR)- Chesapeake honored some of its best from the athletic world and heard from an ACC basketball legend as part of a celebration Thursday night.
The Chesapeake Sports Club hosted its 12th annual jamboree at the Chesapeake Conference Center, with former Duke basketball star Christian Laettner serving as the featured speaker.
"Raising money for student-athletes, what else can you ask for?," Laettner said of the club's cause of raising scholarship money for Chesapeake student-athletes. "I needed that when I was young, when I was in high school, and luckily it happened for me, so I help out with stuff like this any time I can."
Laettner spoke to the crowd and took questions for a little more than 30 minutes during the festivities. He interacted with the crowd and had fun with fans of ACC rival programs. The three-time All-American shared some of his experiences from college, the NBA and the Olympics.
"If you're into sports and you love basketball or stuff like this and get to see an athlete and get inspired, then that's all I can ask for," he said.
Laettner led Duke to four Final Fours and two national championships during his time with the Blue Devils. He played in the NBA for 13 years and was a member of the Dream Team during the 1992 Summer Olympics.
The club also honored its annual award winners. Grassfield track and field head coach Leroy Harper Jr. was honored as Coach of the Year, Grizzles' sprinter Sophie Rambo was named Female Athlete of the Year and former Western Branch baseball star Gavin Biernot, who currently plays at VMI, garnered Male Athlete of the Year honors.
Harper and Rambo were in Boston Thursday night for the New Balance Indoor National Championships.
Longtime club board member and current treasurer Ron Askew was recognized as the Club Member of the Year.
News 3 Sports Director Marc Davis served as the event's emcee.
