NY Giants Stars, Past and Present, Set to Light up Softball Field for a Special Cause

The long awaited event Brian Burns Celebrity Softball Game gets underway at Clover Stadium in Pomona, New York tonight starting at 5 p.m.

New York Giants linebacker Brian Burns headlines a star-studded charity softball game Saturday night, the proceeds of which will benefit autistic awareness. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The New York Giants stars of today and yesteryear will be out in full force this evening in support of the Brian Burns Charity Softball Game, the proceeds of which will benefit the Hype 4 Life Foundation, supporting families with members diagnosed with autism.

The event, organized by Giants superfan Joe “License Plate Guy” Rubak, is scheduled to have over 100 Giants players, past and present.

Burns will serve as the captain of the current players, and two-time Super Bowl champion running back Brandon Jacobs will lead the legacy players, a roster that mostly consists of players from the team’s 2007 and 2011 Super Bowl championship teams.

A cause near and dear to his heart

Burns, the heart and soul of the Giants' defense last season, is lending his name to this event because his nephew, Champ, was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) at a young age.

ASD is a broad range of conditions that create challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech, and nonverbal communication.

“People never know what's really going on until it hits you or your family,” Burns told the Locked On Giants podcast before last month's draft.

“I feel like there needs to be a major awareness level on autism because there are a lot of families out here dealing with it, but they don't have the knowledge on how to deal with it in the best way.

“I really think that just spreading a little awareness and getting the word out can be great for a lot of families.”

Lots of fun activities planned

New York Giants linebacker Brian Burns was the team's best player on either side of the ball last season and it wasn't even close. | Yannick Peterhans / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

There will also be a special raffle for a New York Giants-wrapped golf cart.

The fun will get underway with a game of dodgeball at 5 p.m., followed by the home-run derby at 6 p.m., and then the main event–the softball game– at 7 p.m.

Players are expected to be available for autographs and photos with fans in attendance, with select players appearing only for autograph signings, including receiver Odell Beckham, Jr., who is doing a rare (and limited) autograph/photo op for fans.

There will also be vendor tables scattered throughout the stadium’s concourse and other surprises as promised by both Burns and License Plate Guy.

If you weren’t able to make the event, don't worry. We have a live blog covering it, which will begin at approximately 4 p.m. and will run through the event’s conclusion.

(Note: The blog should refresh automatically; if it doesn't, refresh the page and that should get the feed flowing again.)

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