On July 20, 2009, Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Jim Rice was a special guest at the Center for Disability Services Golf Classic, presented by SEFCU. Rice was greeted at the Albany Country Club by a group of young students from the Center's Langan School who sang him a special Red Sox version of Take Me Out to the Ball Game. During a well attended news conference, Rice took issue with the individual stars of today versus what he saw as the team players of his era. He also told reporters that the kids from the Center put things into perspective for him. He visited Cooperstown just six days later for his induction ceremony and festivities. Rice, a left fielder, played his entire career with the Boston Red Sox and his name is almost synonymous with that team.

Rice's visit to Albany on behalf of the Center for Disability Services continues the Center's tradition of partnering with sports stars, but is a departure from a long line of past and present New York Yankees. Goose Gossage has made three special appearances on behalf of the Center. In June 2008, Gossage, a former Yankee relief pitcher, was a special guest at the Center's Aficionado Experience fund raiser, one month before his induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame. On the day of the fund raiser, Gossage was greeted by cheering students from the Langan School and adult consumers waving signs of congratulations when he visited the Center's main site at 314 South Manning Boulevard. After a well received appearance on the Center's 43rd Telethon in January 2003, Gossage remained in contact with people from the Center, and in October 2007, he returned to Albany as a guest at the 23rd Annual Center for Disability Services Golf Classic.

In June 2008, baseball legend Darryl Strawberry, who won the World series with the Mets in 1986, and with the Yankees in 1996, participated in the SEFCU Golf Classic to benefit the Center for Disability Services. Strawberry met with a group of consumers on the golf course, and posed for photographs with them.

Past and present New York Yankees who have participated in the Center for Disability Services Telethon include: Gaylord Perry (Hall of Fame--1991), Ryne Duren, Rusty Torres and Frank Tepedino (2002); Goose Gossage (2003); Jorge Posada (2004); Joe Girardi (2005); Bubba Crosby (2006); Scott Proctor (2007); Shelley Duncan (2008); and Brian Bruney (2009).

Former Yankee power hitter Graig Nettles and former Yankee pitcher Mike Torrez were special guests at the Center's Golf Classic presented by KeyBank in 2003.

In addition, active NFL players Ray Lucas/Jets (2000), Andre Davis/Cleveland Browns (2005); Stanley Wilson/Detroit Lions (2007); Steve Smith/Giants (2008); and Steve Smith and Derrick Ward/Giants (2009) have made special appearances in Albany as part of the Center's Telethon broadcast.
In that role, the players preside over the sports area during the telethon to raise money by meeting fans, signing autographs, and posing for pictures.

Steve Smith has forged a strong bond of friendship with consumers with a trio of recent appearances. In 2008, just one week before the Giants won Super Bowl XLII, Smith was in Albany for the Center's Telethon, and in August, he was an honored guest at the 125th anniversary picnic for St. Margaret's Center, a residential skilled nursing facility for children and young adults which is part of the Center for Disability Services.