Abe Pollin public memorial tonight - please send me any stories you have about Abe

by Mike Prada on Dec 8, 2009 2:23 PM EST in Site News

So tonight is the Abe Pollin public memorial event at the Verizon Center. The event will begin at 7 tonight and will feature speeches from NBA commissioner David Stern, Wes Unseld, Earl Monroe, Antawn Jamison and others. The event is free and open to the public, so if you aren't doing anything tonight, I strongly encourage you check it out.

I will be in attendance as media, meaning I'll be in my usual Section 104 spot (most likely).

Abe Pollin touched many people personally with his generosity. I never personally communicated with him, but I have heard several stories about how he has helped out people in time of need and in other interactions. If any of you have interacted with him and have any stories to share, I really would like to hear them. I encourage you to either send me an e-mail (mikeprada1 AT gmail DOT com), post them in the comments section here or, if you're there tonight, tell me in person. This strikes me as Abe's defining legacy and I would like to hear about different examples of that. I'm going to try to round up some of these stories tomorrow and post them on the site.

Reminder: 7 p.m. tonight, Verizon Center. This will also be tonight's open thread for the event, which I'm not sure is being televised.

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I posted this before, but forgot the funny part

I ate at Legal Sea Foods before a playoff game in 2006 and saw Mr. Pollin sitting there. I was nervous to go up to him and talk to him because I didn’t wnat to bother him during dinner. I finally decided to speak with him and all I said was thank you and good luck. He was very nice and gracious. I shook his hand and left. I was so excited I left my tickets in the restaurant and had to race back inside to get them.

"Would you like to shoot me now or wait till you get home." --- Daffy Duck

by George Templeton on Dec 8, 2009 6:51 PM EST reply actions

I attended the event last night

Very classy and very well done. I spoke with a DC local who was in the crowd and said he got to meet Abe one time when he was out in his wheelchair by the G street entrance. Abe was taking pictures and greeting the fans…just something you don’t see often.

Ted Leonsis does this all the time, and it’s obvious he learned a lot from Abe. The WIz are in great hands.Abe’s and nearly killed him last year….his kindness was still strong all the way to the end.

by Kevin Ewoldt on Dec 9, 2009 10:10 AM EST reply actions

the last paragraph, I meant to say...

Abe’s son spoke at the end of the night and told a heart-warming story about the GW hospital nurse that messed up Abe’s medication last year and nearly killed him. It’s probably worth posting the video of it versus me transcribing it from memory.

I missed Twan’s speech but I heard it was very moving. David Stern also told some great stories.

by Kevin Ewoldt on Dec 9, 2009 10:13 AM EST up reply actions