Twin Cities Dunkers honor the Fitzgeralds

By: Larry Fitzgerald
Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder
Originally posted 7/20/2006

  

Since 1948, the Twin Cities organization called the Dunkers, a group of 300 of the area’s most influential business and community leaders with a tradition of excellence, has worked as a group to support the continued growth of Minneapolis and St. Paul. The members include Carl Pohlad, Joel Maturi, Dave and Linda Mona, Lou Nanne, Peter Bell, Jim Melville, Bill Lester, Richard Townsend, Margaret Carlson, Bill Robertson, Bill Popp and Deborah Olson, to name a few.

 

The Dunkers meet regularly at the historic Minneapolis Club. On Wednesday, July 13, the organization honored the Fitzgeralds, Larry (the original) Sr. and Larry Jr. Larry Sr. is the longtime award-winning sports talk show host, columnist and TV commentator, and Larry Jr. is the All-Pro leading NFL receiver for the Arizona Cardinals.

 

In 2003, the Fitzgerald family was honored by the United Way of America as the Success By Six National Family of the Year.

 

Some of the “Who’s Who” previously honored by the Dunkers include Elgin Baylor, Herb Brooks, Patty Berg, Johnny Bench, Walter Cronkite, Rod Carew, Howard Cosell, Jack Dempsey, Lou Hudson, Althea Gibson, Carl Lewis, Larry King, Billie Jean King, Alan Page, Jim McKay, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Kirby Puckett, Dave Winfield, Ted Williams, David Stern, Pete Rozelle and Paul Tagliabue.

 

Both Fitzgeralds shared some of their life experiences. Larry Sr., born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, to Robert and Sally Fitzgerald, attended Indiana State University and had the Dunkers laughing when he said he was the most famous Larry at ISU until Larry Bird arrived.

 

Larry Sr. moved to the Twin Cities in 1978 and married Carol Johnson, his high school sweetheart, in September of 1979. Carol died of cancer in April of 2003. The Fitzgeralds have two sons, Larry Jr. and Marcus.

 

Larry Sr. is the first Black man to host a daily three-hour sports talk show on Twin Cities Radio 1991-93 on KFAN. He also founded the National Programming Network, a sports radio distribution company, and  hosted and produced the Dennis Green Radio Show for eight years when Green was the Vikings’ head coach, and the Daunte Culpepper Show when he was with the Vikings.

 

Larry Jr., the former Vikings ball boy, Holy Angels star, and Heisman Trophy runner-up, expressed his excitement for this football season and his desire to complete his education. He talked about how he learned so much from being around the Vikings, from Cris Carter, Randy Moss and Daunte Culpepper, while being a ball boy.

 

The Fitzgeralds are actively involved in the Carol Fitzgerald Memorial Fund through www.Larry-Fitzgerald.com, which raises money nationally to benefit HIV/AIDS, breast cancer and minority education. Every spring, the Carol Fitzgerald Memorial Fund Event is held in Minneapolis.

 

Both Fitzgeralds were presented with awards commemorating the honor by the Dunkers.

 

 

 Larry Fitzgerald can be heard weekday mornings on KMOJ Radio, 89.9 FM, at 8:20 am, and Monday evenings 6-7 pm. He welcomes reader responses to lfitzgerald@spokesman-recorder.com, or visit www.Larry-Fitzgerald.com.