Alfredo Flores, award-winning D.C.-based freelance event photographer

PHOTO STORY

SneakerBall VI

Photo Credit: Alfredo Flores, Special to Metromix

SneakerBall VI is the only black tie and sneakers gala (yes, that’s right, a gala where guests are welcomed to don sneaks with their tuxedos and evening gowns). The event annually celebrates the best of sports in the Greater Washington D.C. region and was held at the National Building Museum. The event was organized to benefit the Greater Washington Sports Alliance Foundation, which is made up of six local charities and creates avenues for corporate philanthropy to enhance the region's youth sports programs and facilities. There were over 1,000 attendees, more than 50 professional athletes & Olympians, the Greater Washington sports franchise ownership groups, leaders of the region's business community and the Sports Alliance charitable partners. New to this year’s edition were the SneakerBall Awards, an interactive awards program that allowed the public to vote for the winners in categories that define excellence in athletic performance, franchise leadership, community sponsorship and media coverage. At the event, Eunice Kennedy Shriver was posthumously honored as a 2009 Hall of Champions inductee for her tireless work with Special Olympics.