Gramatica and Harrington Inducted Into East-West Shrine Game Hall of Fame

St. Petersburg, FL, January 23, 2012 --(PR.com)-- Martin Gramatica and Joey Harrington were inducted into the East-West Shrine Game Hall of Fame during the game banquet Friday, January 20, 2012. The East-West Shrine Game is the longest-running college football all-star game that showcases the next generation of NFL talent before they enter the draft. Each year, the Shrine Game inducts members into its Hall of Fame, typically recognizing former players with outstanding careers and dedication to Shriners Hospitals for Children.

Martin Gramatica is one of the greatest placekickers in college and NFL history. At Kansas State, Gramatica set a school record by scoring 349 points and also kicked the longest field goal in NCAA history at 65 yards. He was selected to the All-American first team by the Associated Press and received the Lou Groza award in 1998.

After playing in the 1999 East-West Shrine Game, Gramatica was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round of the NFL draft. He was the starting placekicker for the NFC Pro Bowl team in 2000 and was on the Bucs’ Super Bowl winning team in 2002. He also played with the Indianapolis Colts, Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints during his nine-year NFL career.

During his time with the Buccaneers, Shriners Hospitals for Children was Gramatica’s charity of choice and he made frequent visits to the hospital in Tampa. He is extremely passionate about giving back to the community and started a foundation that helps raise funds for several organizations in Tampa Bay.

Gramatica and his younger brother, Bill, are founders of Gramatica SIPS International, which provides a full line of services involving structural insulated panel systems.

Joey Harrington is one of the most successful quarterbacks in the University of Oregon’s history, winning 25 of his 28 starts. Even more impressive is Harrington’s motivation to help organizations like Shriners Hospitals for Children.

Following his appearance in the 2002 East-West Shrine Game, Harrington was selected by the Detroit Lions as the third overall pick in the NFL Draft. He spent four years with the Lions and ranks third all-time in team history with 986 pass completions. He also had stints with the Miami Dolphins, Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints.

Since the beginning of his NFL career, Harrington has always found time to visit the patients at Shriners Hospitals for Children – Portland. In addition, a gift from the Harrington Family Foundation helped build an assistive technology room at the Portland hospital. The room allows patients to try out many different devices and system that can give them increased independence, communication ability, adaptive play opportunities and more.

Currently, Harrington works as an NFL and college football commentator for Fox Sports Radio and also serves as a color analyst for Oregon Ducks football games.

About Shriners Hospitals for Children
Shriners Hospitals for Children is changing lives every day through innovative pediatric specialty care, world-class research and outstanding medical education. The 22 hospitals in the United States, Canada and Mexico provide advanced care for children with orthopaedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries, and cleft lip and palate.

Shriners Hospitals for Children is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and relies on the generosity of donors. All donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent permitted by law. To learn more about Shriners Hospitals for Children, please visit www.shrinershospitalsforchildren.org.

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