Wednesday, May 31 200, pg 22

Sports aficionados, come on down

The San Diego Chapter of the NFL Players Association hosts a celebrity charity art and sports auction on Friday, Tune 2, at the First National Bank Building, 800 Silverado St., third floor, from 5 to 8p.m. A one-of-a-kind oil painting of Padre Tony Gwynn, painted by former Padre Gene Locklear, will be displayed and sold.

Reginald Grant, who used to play for the New York Jets, now owns the company eSportsInstruction.com which helped sponsor the auction. He described the event as an evening of athletes and artists, which includes sports paraphernalia and memorabilia.

"We are getting a bunch of players, former and current, together to raise money for the kids," Grant said. Proceeds go to charities designated by the group like SAY and Neighborhood House. Padre fans can view the Gwynn portrait early because it is on display at the bank until auction day. Other sponsors include Artichoke.com which provided arts and artists and eSportsInstruction and eAthlete.com which provided athletes and coaches. Anyone wishing to attend should call (858) 456-6485.