Newark Athletic Hall of Fame 2014 26th Annual Awards Dinner October23, 2014 CONGRATULATIONS! A A JOE PURZYCKI ‘14 MIKE PURZYCKI ‘14 MY BROTHERS GROWING UP... MY BROTHERS FOREVER. with pride, JOE ABRUZZESE NAHOF ‘07 Dear Friends, Welcome to the 65th Annual Newark Athletic Hall of Fame (NAHF) Dinner. It’s good to gather with friends to celebrate another anniversary of this great sports institution. As a member of the Hall myself, I can tell you, it is an honor to be an inductee. Each year outstanding athletes are inducted into the Hall, in recognition of their achievements, both here as high school students, and later on in college. Football, basketball, track…players and coaches, young people and those who have passed on…the diversity of the inductees makes us realize how broad the athletic opportunities are, and the self confidence it builds. Athletes often become community leaders, as so many of our inductees prove, and stand as role models. There is no doubt that when youngsters feel success on the court, they are encouraged to do their best in all areas of their lives. Thank you for being part of our community of friends. Your participation here tonight will help make the dreams of some young athlete-scholars come true. We appreciate your commitment to the Newark Athletic Hall of Fame, and look forward to seeing you next year. Sincerely, Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. Essex County Executive President’s Message Inductees, Scholarship Recipients, Courage Award Recipient, Team Award, Family and Friends, It is with great honor that I welcome you tonight to our 26th Annual Newark Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Dinner. Since 1988, we have been honoring athletes from public and private schools in and around the City of Newark. Our initial purpose was to focus attention on Newark’s glorious past and it’s bright future by creating a positive environment where friendships, camaraderie and memories can be renewed. Tonight, we continue that tradition with new Inductees, two Scholarship Winners, a Team and Courage Award recipients. The Honorees have proven, as in the past, that they are to be recognized as true role models, a characteristic very much in need these days, whether in a large city or a small town. You can turn to a bio page in this or any one of the previous twenty five books of inductees and find a role model you can be proud to emulate. The hallmarks of a good athlete are dedication, desire, teamwork, hard work, time management and good sportsmanship. These are the same qualities necessary to succeed in the classroom and the workplace. That’s why our Hall of Fame Family of Inductees are to be viewed as success stories, on and off the field. To our Scholarship Award Winners, you have been recognized to possess the characteristics outlined above, therefore, we wish you good fortune in college and hope to see you back here one evening, on the dais, as a future Inductee into the Newark Athletic Hall of Fame. Tonight we also celebrate the accomplishments and induction of the 1964 St. Benedict’s Baseball Team and coaches. Because of the inspiration that martial arts world champion, Kevin Thompson, has been to countless numbers of people stricken with ALS throughtout the world, we are awarding him with the 2014 NAHF Courage Award. Not only was he celebrated this year at Yankee Stadium and venues throughtout the country,but also here at our NAHF Dinner.. Finally, as Newark has become a hotbed for professional and college sports alike, we must not forget the high school and recreation level athletes and support their efforts. Therefore, we continue our relationships with the teams involved and their connection with the youth of the city. We are proud of our student athletes from the City of Newark. Furthermore, let me thank the members of the NAHF Board, who have worked so tirelessly on making this night the success that it continues to be, and to the attendees out there who support our efforts each and every year. Sincerely, Harry Snyder Class of 2005 PROGRAM Call to Order ................................................................................................Autrey Reynolds Inductees Procession.............................................................Charles Talley and Gary Hayes Introduction of Rev.Ella C.Johnson.......................................................................Geri Coles Invocation................................................................................................Rev.Ella C.Johnson ................................................................ Calvary Baptist Church, East Orange,NJ “America the Beautiful”.........................................................................................Ambiance “Lift Every Voice and Sing”...................................................................................Ambience Welcome Remarks ............................................................................................Harry Snyder Master Of Ceremonies .................................................................................... Tim Capstraw Introduction of Past Inductees and Dignitaries ....................................................Jim Catullo Dinner is Served Musical Tribute to Inductees ..................................................................................Ambiance AWARDS Courage Award - Kevin Brown Thompson.......................................................Harry Snyder Humanitarian Award - Lisa Morgan..............................................................Ollie Dickerson Scholarship Recipients ........................................................................Dr.F.Kennedy Gordon ............................................................................................................... and Gary Westberry Discovery Communications / National Basketball Trainer’s Association Scholarship Madelen Soto, University High School – Female Scholar Athlete National Basketball Trainers Association / Newark Athletic Hall of Fame Scholarship Altiliyah Butler, Malcolm X Shabazz High School – Female Scholar Athlete Introduction of the Class of 2014.....................................................................Tim Capstraw Closing Remarks .................................................................Harry Snyder, President, NAHF Board President Dinner Committee Harry Snyder Fleeta Barnes Dinner Chairman Ron Cordoso Larry Clark Honorable Joseph N. DiVincenzo Ollie Dickerson Essex County Executive Lester Fusco Dr. F. Kennedy Gordon Dinner Co-Chairs Gary Hayes Irvin B. Hill Timothy Jennings Geri Woods Coles Marcellus King James Catullo Winthrop McGriff Leonard Moore Honorary Dinner Committee Autrey Reynolds Peter Rubas Dr. Marion A. Bolden Charles Talley Cephus Bowles John Thomas * Macey Bullock Timothy Walsh Honorable Mildred C. Crump Gary Westberry Armondo B. Fontoura Honorable Thomas Giblin President Emeritis Senator Nia H. Hill, Esq. * Jerome Greco Michael Gray * Louis Dell’Ermo Jeanine Greco-Brown Larry Hazzard, Sr. Vice President Emeritis Rabbi H.A. Manhoff, Ph.D. * Arthur Coles, III Scott Manhoff Patricia McLaughlin * Deceased Virginia Perry-Slater Honorable Ronald Rice Honorable Sharon Robinson-Briggs Honorable Teresa Ruiz Honorable L. Grace Spencer, Esq. Honorable Cleopatra G. Tucker The Newark Athletic Hall of Fame Board Members Would Like to Recognize and Thank All Who Have Contributed to the General Scholarship Fund Joseph Abruzzese/Discovery Communications John M. Allen Fleeta Barnes Donald ‘Don’ Baskerville Stephen D. Bogner Mario M. Branco Peter R. Brogan Michael J. Caruso Jim Catullo Dr. John J. Cavan Mildred C. Crump Dexter Cumberlander Ollie Dickerson Gary A. Edwards Jeffrey A. Feldman Vincent B. Finch Milton Gaylord Enrico N. Giancola John Gibbons Gold Hat, Inc. Joseph A. Gomes F. Kennedy Gordon, M.D./Gordon Elite Sports Medicine, P.C. Gary William Hayes Luther E. Howard Marcellus King Jorge M. Lopes Robert Malkmus Jerry McMillan John B. Murray National Basketball Athletic Trainers’ Association (NBATA) Donald A. Newbery Lawrence A. Peccatiello Eugene Robinson Michael Rubas, Esq. Sanford Salz Michael Sheppard, Sr. Harry Snyder Herb Stoney Charles Talley, Jr. Anthony D. Tavares William M. Thompson Kevin Thompson-Brown Wacoal America, Inc. Timothy A. Walsh Newark Athletic Hall of Fame 2014 Inductees Performers Category Inductees High School Scott Allen United States Winter Olympic Team Leticia R. Beverly Science and Central High Scool Charlie C. Chambliss, Jr. South Side William Darby Malcolm X. Shabazz Ronnie Felton Malcolm X. Shabazz Isaiah Jackson, Jr. Barringer Brian LaGrasso East Side Lisa Morgan Columbia High School Felicia Oliver University Joseph Purzycki Vailsburg & Our Lady of the Valley Michael Purzycki Seton Hall Prep Michael Rota Our Lady of the Valley Shelby Walton East Side Marion Wingo Vailsburg Achievers Category Inductees High School James Cook South Side Charles Griffin Central Robert King Newark Tech High School Gregory W. Stewart Central Daaimah Talley Weequahic George A. Worsley Central Team Award 1964 St. Benedict's Baseball Team Scott Allen Born in Newark Scott Ethan Allen (born February 8, 1949 in Newark, New Jersey) is an American figure skater. He is the 1964 Olympic bronze medalist, the 1965 World silver medalist, and the 1964 and 1966 U.S. national champion. The son of Swedish figure skating champion Sonja Fuhrman, Allen made his national debut at the age of 9, winning the silver medal in the novice men's division at the 1959 U.S. Championships. At that time he was the youngest competitor ever to