The biggest crowd ever— about 1,300 people — attended the 37th annual Ed Block Courage Awards Foundation Banquet at the Baltimore Hilton ballroom and it was a night packed with good stuff. To start with, one player from each of the 32 National Football League teams was honored for his work in the community and his courage on the field based on the votes of his teammates.
There was also the heartwarming cause: raising money from the $195-a-tickets to fight child abuse and neglect in Courage Houses set up in many NFL cities, including Baltimore, which is near and dear to foundation supporters, including John Cibula, foundation executive director and John Leineweber, board president.
And then there was that long line of guests snaking through the mezzanine leading to tables where players like the Ravens' Ladarius Webb and the Detroit Lions' Calvin "Megatron" Johnson sat to meet and greet fans as well as sign autographs and pose for pictures.
"You see grown men act like they're 5 years old," said a laughing Mary Ann Peacock, who co-chaired the event with G.G. Hyle, Dan Fulmer and William Pateris.
"Did you say 5-year-old? I feel like a 10-year-old," said Chip Riley, better known as Ravens' superfan "Fired Up," who had just finished going down the line with fellow superfan Rick "Poetic Justice" Bowlis.
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