Honors: Salata honored

The list of accolades for Paul Salata, the esteemed Newport Beach

businessman who has spent a lifetime thinking of others, will grow May

23, when the former NFL player and Irrelevant Week founder will be given

the first “An American Tribute” award at The Grove theater in Anaheim.

“An American Tribute award will honor Paul because of the many things

he has done for our community,” said Dan Rogers, president and CEO of

Goodwill Industries. “He truly embodies the spirit of America and the

free enterprise system. He is a giver of time, talent and a treasure to

others.”

After playing receiver at USC, Salata continued professionally with

the San Francisco 49ers, the Baltimore Colts, the Pittsburgh Steelers and

in the Canadian Football League.

He retired from pro sports at age 27 to begin a career in sales. He

prospered as a contractor of pipelines, streets, gravel and cement and

later did equally well in real estate investment.

In 1971, he started an organization now called the Orange County Youth

Sports Foundation. This nonprofit group has raised millions of dollars to

assist little leagues, handicapped youth sports, athletes who have been

injured and funded scholarships for deserving student-athletes.

Irrelevant Week, perhaps his most publicized creation, began in 1976,

honoring the final pick in the annual NFL draft. Based on the concept of

“doing something nice for someone for no good reason,” the event has

blossomed into an internationally recognized week of festivities in

Newport Beach to honor Mr. Irrelevant.

Individual tickets for the May 23 dinner are $175 each and event

sponsorships are available from $2,500-$50,000. Proceeds from the event

will benefit Goodwill Industries of Orange County and the American Red

Cross Orange County Chapter.

For information, phone (714) 547-6308, extension 311 or e-mail

[email protected].