b'NORM HITZGES A LEGENDARY SPORTS BROADCASTER WITH A HEART OF GOLD By Alicia Wanek NORM HITZGES: TALKING THE (SPORTS) TALK AND WALKING THE WALK TO MAKE A REAL DIFFERENCENorm Hitzges is a sports legend.He may not havejust snowballed, said Norm.racked up a list of achievements on the court or theHeld the day after Christmas every year, the now 18-field or the track, but as the longest running sports talkhour event is held at Starpower in North Dallas and show host in any major market in the U.S., his impactalso includes car raffles and the 12 Days of Christmas on sports in DFW, and nationally, over the past 45 yearsauctionleadinguptothebigday.Listenershave islegendary.Knownforhisstraight-shootingstylecontributed services, clothing, furniture, and toiletries and meticulous analysis, Norm pioneered the worldto the shelter as well.Norm was thrilled when the event of sports radio when he hosted the countrys first all- raised $300k in a single day, then $400k, then $500k, sports morning drive show back when fans could onlyand last year thanks to one very special gift they raised get sports news in a small section of the local newspaper$831,000 in those 18 hours.and a few minutes on the evening news.To watch Norm in action is truly amazing, said Long-time listeners to Norm on KTCK The Ticket,StarpowerCEODavidPidgeon.Therespectand look forward to his predictions, breakdowns of the bigadmiration he gets from all the athletes and celebrities games, and news about the players, but they also knowwhocomeouttosupporttheNormathonisan him for Normathon, the annual 18-hour marathon toincredible thing to witness.His heart to do good is as raise funds for the areas homeless benefiting Austinlegendary as his voice.Street Center. Since its inception the event has raised $5.6InMay,Norm waspresentedwiththeinaugural million for the nonprofit and made an immeasurableNormHitzgesDistinguishedServiceAwardatthe impactnotonlyontheindividualsservicedbytheannual AustinStreetCenter HumbleBeginnings shelter but also on the Dallas community as a whole. luncheon.Itwasnoquestionthatwehonorour Norm first became familiar with the shelter in thelongstanding supporter and friend Norm Hitzges, said late 1970s.Austin Street is a comprehensive homelessDaniel Roby, Executive Director, Austin Street Center. shelter that sleeps over 300 homeless each night andNormbroughtanewvoicetosportsbroadcasting provides medical assistance and job training to helparound the same time Austin Street Center opened its move residents out of homelessness.In 2001 whendoors, and because of Norms support and vision, we Norm was talking to his producer Mark Freeman, hehave been able to help thousands of individuals.said, How can we use the platform given to us to doNormsgenerositytoAustinStreetandother good? and Normathon was born.The first year Normnonprofitsalongwithhisoutstandingcareer stayed on-air 24 hours straight and raised $52,000.Weachievements have not gone unnoticed by the DFW were blown away, Norm says.Little did they knowcommunity.The Texas Radio Hall of Fame member then how big the event would grow.When you havehas received the NFLs Distinguished Texan award and a large personal listening base and the base responds, itbeen honored by the Texas Baseball Hall of Fame and 16GoodLifeFamilyMag.comNOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2019'