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The Gaston County Sports Hall of Fame annual banquet, set for the evening of Saturday, Oct. 16, at the downtown Gastonia Conference Center, is sold out.
Has been for weeks.
Disappointing to those still seeking tickets, of course, but a tribute to the hall’s tradition of honoring first-class athletes and consistently bagging first-class keynote speakers for the event.
“This banquet has grown into more of a regional event or even a state event,” said the hall’s current chairman Philip Cherry.
“You look back at our speakers over the decades,” he continued, “and it’s really like looking at a ‘Who’s Who’ of respected coaches, players, and analysts.”
This year’s speaker continues that tradition.
College Football Hall of Fame member Lou Holtz, who coached at North Carolina State University, the University of South Carolina, and the University of Notre Dame, where he led the Fighting Irish to a national championship in 1988, will be delivering the after-dinner remarks.
But while no tickets to the event are available, Gaston residents may still participate in an online auction sponsored by the Hall of Fame with a unique fundraising goal.
“We’re hoping to raise $20,000 to $30,000 to allow us to join in a unique partnership with Belmont Abbey College,” Cherry said, “to help us provide scholarships to Gaston County students wanting to go to the Abbey.”
Raising money for local worthy causes is nothing new for the hall, Cherry noted.
In the past the organization has contributed to Gaston Cancer Services, Gaston County Hospice, the BackPack Weekend Food Program, and the Gaston YMCA After School Program.
“We don’t need to be keeping any extra money,” Cherry said. “We need to be using it to help Gaston County.”
While small, on-site auctions have accompanied the annual banquet several times in years past, this year’s event marks the first time it will be an online event and the first year the auction will offer such a massive inventory.
“We’ve got it all this year,” said Cherry with a laugh. “We’ve got everything from deep sea fishing expeditions, golf at The Dunes in Myrtle Beach, orthodontic treatment/braces, pro and college sporting events, to weekends in the mountains. We’ve got lots of restaurant offerings as well.”
“We’ve even got a used Chipper Jones bat,” he continued. “The folks in Gaston County have really embraced our Hall of Fame over the years.”
Bidding for the online auction will open at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 13, and will continue through Saturday, Oct. 16, at 7 p.m.
Seeing what’s available in the auction and making bids when the auction opens is pretty simple, Cherry explained. Just go to the hall’s website, www.gastoncountysportshof.com, and click on the “Auction” tab at the upper right.
“The cause is good,” Cherry said. “Helping Gaston County students afford a college education at Belmont Abbey. And we think we’ve got a great array of offerings that will really excite the community.”
In addition to the auction, the hall will also be sponsoring a golf tournament on Friday, Oct. 15, at the Cramer Mountain Golf Club.
Registration for the four-person, captain’s choice tournament will be be from 8 to 9:30 a.m. with a 10 a.m. shotgun start.
The hall’s current class of inductees – Charlotte Whitesides, Phillip Crosby, Mickey Lineberger and Hal White – will serve as honorary captains for the event.
The registration fee for the event is $480 per foursome and $120 per person. The fee includes green fees, cart charges, and lunch.
Cherry was effusive in his praise for the members of the Hall of Fame committee who have worked on organizing the banquet, the auction, and the golf tournament.
Those members include: Pet Sumner, Sam Robinson, Jay Briody, Page Carver, Butch Adams, Rob Hannifin, Gary Neely, Juan Smith, Bryan Nichols, Cathy Hart, Chuck Dellinger, Jonathan Hovis, Josh White, Carleena Costner, Kent Hyde, Richard Walker, Jeff Johnson, Cathy Hayes, and Mark Gillming.
Some Past Banquet Speakers
- Former NFL quarterback Norm Snead
- Former UNC Chapel Hill basketball coach Dean Smith
- Former Georgia Tech football coach Pepper Rodgers
- NASCAR driver Buddy Baker
- Former NFL head coach Bobby Ross
- Former Davidson and Maryland basketball coach Charles “Lefty” Driesell
- ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Bilas
- Former Florida State University head football coach Bobby Bowden
- Former Carolina Panthers head coach Ron Rivera
- Former University of North Carolina head football coach Larry Fedora
- Former UNC basketball head coach Roy Williams
- Former New York Yankee Bobby Richardson
- Former Georgia Tech head basketball coach Bobby Cremins
- Former University of Alabama head football coach Paul “Bear” Bryant
- Former NFL quarterback Fran Tarkenton
- Four-time Olympic Gold Medalist Jesse Owens
Bill Poteat may be reached at 704-869-1855 or bpoteat@gastongazette.com.
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