Jodi Applegate | Greg Germann | Scott Hamilton


Jodi Applegate
Charity: Sisters of St. Joseph

Jodi Applegate joined NBC News in June 1996 as a co-anchor of Weekend Today. She is also an anchor for MSNBC Cable, the 24-hour news and information cable network from NBC and Microsoft.

Most recently, since February 1993, Applegate had been the anchor of KTVK-TV's Good Morning Arizona, the top-rated three-hour morning news program in Phoenix. Previously, beginning in October 1992, she had been a weekend anchor and general-assignment reporter for KTVN in Reno, where she also produced and wrote the 6:30 p.m. and 11p.m. weekend broadcasts.

Earlier in 1992, Applegate was a field correspondent for the NBC series Dr. Dean, reporting daily on lifestyle and health issues. In 1991, she was an on-camera traffic reporter in San Francisco for KRON-TV's live, six-times-a-day Metro Traffic Control reports.

From 1989 to 1991, Applegate was the host and producer of C-Span's current event's program Close-UP America, for which she also oversaw topic selection, guest booking and field production. She began her career in 1987 as a producer of The Morning Show with Ed Walker and Bruce Alan on WWRC-AM radio in Washington D.C.

Applegate, a native of Wheeling, West Virginia, graduated from New York University.

Greg Germann
Charity: Ocean Park Community Center

While the eponymous Ally McBeal of the new, one-hour Fox legal series has earned the loyalty of audiences with her vulnerability, high moral code and puppy-dogged approach, it is the opposite qualities ~ a cold heart, low moral values and shark-like demeanor ~ that have endeared the very same viewers to her law firm boss. As Richard Fish, actor Greg Germann may portray a scaly bottom-feeder dubbed "likably dishonorable" by the L.A. Times, but let a Fish not be confused with a chameleon, the species that best describes Germann, whose New York theatrical career is the primordial soup from which his success has evolved.

The role of Fish on the Golden Globe (1998) winning series Ally McBeal is an opportunity that Germann characterizes, like much of his career, as fortuitous. "Fish is so guileless, so much fun to do. He's a guy audiences would love to hate, but he has a few redeeming qualities. He's romantic in his own minimalist way," says Germann, noting his character's relationship with Judge Whipper Cone (Dyan Cannon). The actor credits the show's success to a stellar cast and the superior writing of creator David E. Kelley.

In addition to acting, Germann also devotes himself to writhing. His short film, Pete's Garden for which he also served as director and star, premiered in competition at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival. Pete's Garden tells the story of an estranged father and daughter who bond one weekend over the shooting, burning and burying of their sick pony. Germann also recently penned The Observatory, a play performed at New York's Ensemble Studio Theater which The New York Times described as "Full of fireworks."

A native of Houston raised on Lookout Mountain outside of Golden, Colorado, Germann was exposed to the performing arts at an early age, particularly through his father, an award-winning children's playwright and theater professor. As a Theater major at the University of Northern Colorado, a constant stream of plays led him to the gradual realization that acting would be his professional future. Buckling down at UNC, he graduated in two years with the intention to "get to New York fast."

Germann became a member of Circle Repertory Company and Ensemble Studio Theater, accumulating credits in such off-Broadway and Broadway plays as A Narrow Bed at New York Theater Workshop, Remedial English and the Steven Sondheim Musical Assassins at Playwrights Horizons, Apocalyptic Butterflies and The Person I Once Was opposite Holly Hunter, Biloxi Blues on Broadway, David Mamet's War Games and New York Actor at Ensemble Studio Theater, Only You at Circle Rep, and Found A Peanut at the New York Shakespeare Festival.

Germann has distinguished himself in films as well as on the theatrical stage. His foothold in motion pictures came with a role as a pimp's sidekick, "a struggle with a heart of gold," in the independent film Street Walkin'. Subsequent films include Whoopee Boys, Child's Play II as a greedy toy company owner, Miss Firecracker as a vengeful ex-boyfriend opposite Holly Hunter, Once Around as Laura San Giacomo's lovesick neighbor, and So I Married An Axe Murderer as a poetry reciting hotel clerk. Among Germann's most recent films were Taking The Heat, Imaginary Crimes, Clear and Present Danger with Harrison Ford, and as a reporter in Fred Schepist's IQ. He also starred in a short film, Culture, which won the Short Competition at the Chicago Film festival.

On television, Germann worked with Kevin Spacey on the American Playhouse presentation of Darrow, and as a bigoted newspaper reporter opposite Samuel L. Jackson in Showtime's Conduct Unbecoming.

Scott Hamilton
Charity: Make-A-Wish Foundation

Clearly one of the most popular figure skating stars in the world today, Scott Hamilton is also a role model, a humanitarian, and a cancer survivor. As a figure skater, he is forever bridging the gap between sport and entertainment. As a role model, he contradicts the saying that "good guys finish last". As a humanitarian, he avails himself to any plight that will improve mankind. But, more important, as a cancer survivor - he is a constant reminder that with fortitude and determination, anything is possible. Scott's much publicized bout with testicular cancer in 1997, however, was not the first time he had faced such adversity.

Six weeks after his birth on August 28, 1958, Scott was adopted by Earnest and Dorothy Hamilton, both professors at Bowling Green University. When Scott was about two, he contracted a mysterious illness that caused him to stop growing. For the next six years, doctor's prescribed a variety of unsuccessful treatments. After his illness was mistakenly diagnosed as cystic fibrosis and he was given six months to live, the Hamilton's took their son to Boston's Children's Hospital where his ailment began to correct itself by special diet and moderate exercise.

From the beginning, Scott skated with great confidence and uncommon speed. He began taking formal lessons, joined a hockey team and within a year, his illness disappeared and he began growing again - although he would always be considerably smaller than his peers. His miraculous recovery was attributed to the effects of intense physical activity in the cold atmosphere of the rink.

At thirteen he began training with Pierre Brunet, a former Olympic gold medal winner and, despite steady progress, abruptly quit competitive skating in 1976 to enroll at Bowling Green.

Finances to fund his training had become an issue. But before he began classes, an anonymous couple who had supported other Olympic hopeful volunteered to sponsor Scott. He immediately resumed training.

Over the next several years, his continued dedication paid off. By 1980 he was good enough to capture third place in National Competition and win a berth on the U.S. Olympic squad. In addition, he earned a solid fifth-place finish at the Olympics in Lake Placid. Then in March of 1981, Scott's dazzling free-skate program at the World Championships enabled him to overtake fellow countrymen David Santee and Igor Bobrin of the Soviet Union to win the title, only the second American to do so since 1970. Later that same year, he took and individual Gold medal at the first Skate America tournament and was voted Male Athlete of the Year by the United States Olympic Committee.

Scott held onto his national and world titles in 1992 and 1993. As the winner of sixteen consecutive championships after the 1980 Winter Olympics, he was heavily favored to take the Gold medal at the 1984 Olympic Games in Sarajevo and that is precisely what he did, despite an uncharacteristically tentative free-skating routine. A month later, he went on to score a stunning victory at the World Championships in Ottawa, Canada. Shortly thereafter, in April of 1984, Scott turned professional after being inundated with lucrative contracts from the major ice shows. The Ice Capades secured his superstar talents for two years.

In September of 1987, the United States Olympic Committee nominated him for the first Olympic Spirit Award given for the 1984 Winter Games. The award, which has since become a tradition, was voted on by Olympic Committee members and over 1900 members of the American press with Scott winning the prestigious honor by a landslide.

Since 1986, audiences have seen him perform in his own Scott Hamilton's America Tour, with numerous U.S. symphony orchestras; and now 13 national touring seasons of Stars On Ice which he also co-created and for which he serves as co-producer. He has toured the country in the proscenium theater production of Festival On Ice highlighted by a two week engagement at the Opera House of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C; and dazzled audiences with multiple headlining appearances in the Southshore Room of Harrah's Hotel and Casino in Lake Tahoe, Nevada. Additionally, he is one of television's most sought after guest-stars on a variety of yearly network and cable skating specials and is currently a spokesperson for Discover Card and Target Stores. His October, 1997 comeback to skating preceded by a People Magazine cover story profiling his courageous battle against cancer, and Maria Shriver's highly rated profile of Scott for NBC's Dateline, was capped by the CBS Television Special Scott Hamilton: Back On The Ice. By all counts, the event was one of the most emotional and riveting evenings of the year.

In March of 1998, Scott Hamilton received perhaps the second most important award in his career form the International Skating Union. This institutional governing body of all world amateur competitions presented him with their highest recognition of merit, the Jacques Favart Award. A most prestigious honor, it is only sporadically given and, at the same time of its presentation to Scott, he became the award's first solo male recipient.

As an independent producer, Scott has twice presented major theatrical proscenium ice shows for Sea World of San Diego, California. The initial production - Celebrations on Ice (1988) became a first for the twenty-five year old landmark. The second - Time Traveler: An Odyssey On Ice (1989) - surpassed all of Sea World's expectations and became the most stellar attraction ever presented at the famous marine life park's 7,000 seat outdoor amphitheater. A "book" show, the production played to nearly a million people over a three month engagement. Scott made his "musical and acting" debut in 1989 as star of Broadway On Ice, a specially written vehicle for his diverse talents. First presented at Harrah's Lake Tahoe, the show then toured the Scott Hamilton U.S. with Scott receiving great critical acclaim for his versatility beyond skating. Setting a precedent as the first star in ice skating history to combine skating, acting, singing and dancing in one stage production, this new dimension only further complimented his already illustrious career. He has successfully segued into producing for television and has co-produced not only his own television specials such as Disney's Scott Hamilton - Upside Down, the 1997 holiday hit Snowden On Ice and its 1998 sequel The Snowden, Raggedy Ann & Andy Holiday Special, but most recently, 1998 Olympic Champion Tara Lipinski's first network special for CBS.

In July of 1990, to add to a remarkable list of achievements which now includes over 60 titles, awards and honors, Scott was inducted into the United States Olympic Hall of Fame. He was distinguished in this induction by being the only Olympic athlete from any Winter Olympic games played since 1924 to become a 1990 Olympic Hall of Fame class member and one of under 100 Olympic athletes ever to be honored as of that date. In that same year, he also became a privileged member of the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame and his career was selected to be permanently published in Marquis' Who's Who In America. In 1992, Marquis began publishing his biography in Who's Who In Entertainment and in 1994 he was added to their Who's Who In The West edition.

In 1997, Scott was the recipient of yet one more distinguished honor when on March 14th in front of a sold-out crowd of 17,000 at New York's Madison Square Garden, he became the first figure skater ever to be inducted into the Madison Square Garden Walk of Fame. Until that night, the Garden had not added a member to their illustrious "club" of 46 legends in five an a half years. Humbly accepting the accolade, which professionally represented over fifty appearances by Hamilton at Madison Square Garden during the last 21 years, Scott is now in the permanent company of of such luminaries as Mohammed Ail, Michael Jordan, the Rolling Stones, and Frank Sinatra.

Scott had just completed a thirteen year tenure with the CBS Television Network as one of their most articulate sports analysts. His coverage of figure skating competition at the 1998 Winter Olympic Games in Nagano, the 1994 Olympic Games in Lillehammer, Norway and the 1992 Games in Albertville, France, were heralded as an incisive, exuberant and refreshing.

When he is not performing or participating in a wide variety of fundraisers such as the Scott Hamilton Circle of Friends Invitational Golf Tournament in benefit of Target House at St. Jude's Hospital in Memphis, The March on Washington conducted by the National Coalition of Cancer Survivors, pediatric AIDS, the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and animal rights, Scott enjoys his time at home in Denver, Colorado and on the golf course.