ATLANTA (Nov. 3, 2008) – The fourth annual Atlanta Sports Awards presented by Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill and Bar will be held on Monday, Feb. 2, 2009 at the Historic Fox Theatre’s Egyptian Ballroom.  And while the award winners are yet to be determined, Atlanta residents will have some say as to which athletes are under consideration. 

Starting today, and running through Dec. 6, Atlantans are encouraged to visit one of the 36 metro Atlanta Applebee’s locations and request a ballot for the High School Athlete of the Year award, presented by Russell-Athletic.  There, they can submit the name of the high school athlete they feel is most deserving of this award. 

In addition, six other award categories will be available for consumer participation.  Atlanta residents can visit www.atlantasportsawards.com to submit the name of a candidate for the following award categories:

• Professional Athlete of the Year presented by SunTrust
• Amateur Athlete of the Year Award presented by CSS
• Collegiate Athlete of the Year Award presented by AT&T
• Sports Person of the Year Award presented by Champion Windows
• Coach of the Year Award presented by Delta Air Lines
• Team of the Year Award presented by The Home Depot

The remaining awards will be presented at the black-tie event in February but are not open to the public in terms of voting:

• Female and Male High School Scholar-Athletes of the Year Award
• Furman Bisher Award for Sports Media Excellence presented by the Atlanta Sports Council
• Lifetime Achievement Award presented by Coca-Cola

“The Atlanta Sports Awards is special because it transcends any one sport or gender across all levels,” said Gary Stokan, Atlanta Sports Council president.  “It becomes a community rallying cry to recognize and honor those individuals in metro Atlanta who have left an indelible mark in sports.”

“Having been founded in Atlanta, Applebee’s appreciates sports excellence and what it means to this community,” said Gary Cockerill, Applebee’s Director of Marketing.  “And perhaps more importantly, we take pride in having our brand associated with this event since its inception.”

The Atlanta Sports Awards was created in 2006 when the Atlanta Sports Council came up with the idea of a gala-style event to honor the achievements of the best athletes, coaches and teams from all levels of competition.  It has become a way to engage the city of Atlanta to recognize tremendous athletic feats on a yearly basis.