[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 18 (Friday, February 3, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E136]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              2012 AL RADKA AWARD: JOHN AND DIANE CARBRAY

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                             HON. JIM COSTA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, February 3, 2012

  Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge John and Diane 
Carbray for their dedication to the community of Fresno. John and Diane 
are the recipients of the 2012 Al Radka Award. The award is bestowed 
upon individuals who have made contributions to the Fresno community 
through the game of baseball. The Carbrays have been instrumental in 
bringing big time baseball back to Fresno and worked tirelessly to help 
build one of Fresno's crown jewels, Chukchansi Ballpark. As 
distinguished members of the Fresno community and devoted leaders, John 
and Diane are certainly deserving of this award.
  It was John and Diane's love for sports that brought them together. 
They first met while working with the San Jose Earthquakes. In 1983, 
they founded Projects West Entertainment, a company that would go on to 
put on more than 400 concerts over 20 years throughout the country in 
different athletic venues.
  The Carbrays were first introduced to Fresno by Mr. Bob Freitas, who 
at the time was working as a Minor League Baseball executive. He 
contacted them to see if they were interested in buying bleachers that 
were left from the departing Fresno Giants/Suns Baseball Team who moved 
to Salinas in 1988. Both John and Diane had no idea that this initial 
introduction to Fresno would eventually lead them down a road to 
bringing baseball back to Fresno.
  It was 1991 when the Carbrays began working to bring a team back to 
Fresno. In seven years, after working on community support and building 
partnerships, John and Diane were able to introduce the Grizzlies to 
Fresno. Together with William Connolly, Jack Emerian, Dave Cates, and 
Tim Cullen they created the Fresno Diamond Group. They all invested 
their time, expertise and ultimately themselves into making what once 
was a dream a reality.
  The 2012 season will be the Fresno Grizzlies 15th anniversary and 
their 11th playing downtown.
  Mr. Speaker, I applaud John and Diane for their many years of work to 
help make Fresno a better community and congratulate them on this well-
deserved recognition. I invite my colleagues to join me in applauding 
and expressing appreciation for John and Diane Carbray and their many 
contributions to California's San Joaquin Valley.

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