Sun Sports receives Media Partner of the Year award from Make-A-Wish Foundation
By KRISTEN HEWITT
Special to FOXSportsFlorida.com
Sun Sports was awarded the Media Partner of the Year award for their efforts last season in helping to grant a wish.
Last year a young man named Tyler Gutzmer wanted to be a HEAT announcer for the day. Director Ted Ballard, producer AJ Speaks, Jason Jackson, Eric Reid and Tony Fiorentino made that wish come true on April 18, 2012, allowing him to be on air and even interview the coaches and players during a Heat game vs. the Toronto Raptors.
He was an integral part of the broadcast that night, and has remained a friend of everyone he met and worked with during his time with the Miami HEAT and Sun Sports.
As Ballard was accepting the award, he invited the HEAT announcers on stage, as well as Tyler, and gave the award to Gutzmer. Tyler impacted the Miami HEAT just as much as he was inspired by the team. As Ted said, "we've all heard of friends of the program, but Tyler is so much more than that -- he will always be a member of the Miami HEAT family."
Make-A-Wish is celebrating its 30 year anniversary, and made 507 wishes come true last year.
They grant a wish every 16 hours, and continue to do remarkable and inspirational work, helping to grant wishes of children who have life threatening medical conditions. More than 9,000 children in South Florida have had wishes granted.
For more information on the Make-A-Wish foundation, visit wish.org
