On Friday, March 7, Grizzlies players Rudy Gay, Brian Cardinal and Mike Conley hosted the very successful Staxtacular 2008 event. Six inches of snow and freezing temperatures might have kept some people at home, but a crowd of over 200 assembled at the Stax Museum of American Soul Music that evening and enabled this year's event to break all previous fundraising records.

Over $110,000 was raised for the Stax Music Academy, aided by the generous support of presenting sponsor SunTrust, a last-minute sponsorship by Summerfield Packaging, and eight Staxtacular All-Stars, who each purchased blocks of ten tickets to share with friends and clients. In addition, auction proceeds exceeded $20,000, with a camp for 25 kids hosted by Rudy Gay raising $3,000 alone. Auctioneer Brian Cardinal ensured that his teammates were active participants in the live auction. He helped coax Mike Miller and Hakim Warrick into increasing the bidding on a couple of great prizes, but they were eventually outbid by Brenda Richardson and Paul Robinson.

Grizzlies representation was strong, as the hosts were joined by many of their teammates who braved the winter weather, including Mike Miller and his wife, Jennifer, Juan Carlos Navarro and his wife, Vanessa, Casey Jacobsen and his wife, Brittany, Kyle Lowry, Hakim Warrick, Head Coach Marc Iavaroni, GM and Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Wallace.

Guests dined on a wide array of eclectic offerings, from sushi to risotto, and bars featuring Boscos beers and fine wine. The dessert station, which included a milk chocolate fondue was a hit, was made even more special with the High Point Coffee bar brewing their signature roasts and preparing specialty coffees… a warm welcome on a cold night!

Congratulations to Soulsville on a successful event! Here's hoping that snow won't be a factor in the 2009 event!

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