Ceballos Autographs Get Ball Rolling for Fund-Raiser

In what’s fast becoming a Ventura County tradition, hundreds of Los Angeles Laker purple-and-gold bedecked youngsters lined up for free autographed posters Wednesday and a few words from all-star Cedric Ceballos.

“I’m here because it’s my dad’s favorite team,” said Angela Murphy, 8, of Ventura. “He wanted me to come because he wants a poster, but I’m not going to give it to him.”

The autograph session at Jano Graphics on McGrath Street in Ventura is the first event of the fifth annual Cedric Ceballos weekend, a series of fund-raising events for the Ventura College men’s basketball program and the Boys & Girls Club of Ventura.

Ceballos has ties to both. He participated in the Boys & Girls Club as a youngster in Los Angeles and stopped by to meet kids at the Ventura club when he played for the college’s state championship Pirates in 1986-87.

“Their smiling faces keep me coming back,” Ceballos said.

“It’s not really hard for me because I’m a big kid.”

The fund-raising events--including a 6 p.m. sports memorabilia auction and supper Friday at the Doubletree Hotel, a basketball clinic for children Saturday morning and a Pirate-Alumni basketball game at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Ventura College gym--net each program about $40,000, said Doug Caldwell, director of development for the Boys & Girls Club.

But Ceballos’ involvement is just as important in less tangible ways, Caldwell said.

“It’s real important our kids have proper role models,” he said.

“It instills in them a sense of purpose . . . . It shows them if they set goals high enough they can achieve what they want.”

Those weren’t the kinds of words Ceballos received last season after going AWOL from the Lakers for several games.

While absent without leave, Ceballos went boating on Lake Havasu in Arizona to sort out what he said were family problems.

Upon his return, he was roundly criticized for his conduct and lack of maturity.

The matter didn’t come up Wednesday.

“He’s from the community--there’s not too many major stars that have come from the community--or Ventura College for that matter,” said Kevin Gonzales of Oxnard, who lined up to receive Ceballos’ autograph on a poster and basketball jersey complete with sales tag still attached.

It was, he said, for his 6-year-old son. “I’ve got to get this for my little boy, he’s in school today. He would kill me if I didn’t.”

For more information on any of this weekend’s events, call 641-5585.