ELHS Hall of Fame Association to host 2020 induction in 2021

Sept. 2, 2020 | Dennis Hackett
dennis@thereminder.com

EAST LONGMEADOW – After honoring East Longmeadow High School athletes for the past decade, the Hall of Fame Association’s annual banquet will be postponed to 2021 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ned Obernesser, the association’s secretary, said the association was born when several alumni got together back in 2010 to figure out ways to honor past athletes.

“A couple of alumni got together and were thinking about it and they made some phone calls and off it went. It started that July and then we had our first banquet in November. So, it was a pretty intense effort,” he said.

He added that he formed the association with Dr. Charles Redington, Pat Bean, John Courtney, Mike Raschilla, Bob Mazzariello, and Richard Freccero.

Once the idea for the hall of fame came into place, Obernesser said that he and his friend Steve Buzzelle put together their own history file detailing the accomplishments of past athletes.

“[Buzzelle] and I went down to the Springfield Library and found information about Western Mass. champions and things that would be in the newspaper and made our own history file,” he said.

Obernesser said that while there is a nomination committee, residents are encouraged to send in their own nominations as well.

“We have a nomination form that’s available at the town hall, the library, the Rec. Department, and I think it’s online as well. People submit their recommendations and then we do some research. There is a nomination committee as well that has about six or seven people,” he said.

Along with the banquet, each athlete is honored with their own plaque hung up in the high school.

“We have plaques made up with their high school photo and a summary of their accomplishments on a bronze plaque. They are all put up at the East Longmeadow High School on what we call ‘The Wall of Fame,’ which is right outside the gymnasium,” he said.

Along with the plaques hanging in the high school, each athlete also receives a copy of their plaque.

This year the Hall of Fame will not be hosting its induction banquet and will honor this year’s inductees next year.

“We sent out letters to the inductees before the whole thing broke, and we had to send another letter saying we would not celebrate with a banquet this year and it would be put off until November 2021. Hopefully we’ll be back together by then,” he said.

Along with honoring former East Longmeadow High School athletes, Obernesser said that the committee also hosts several fundraisers each year and helps sponsor scholarships for children in need to go to summer camp.

“We have a scholarship committee that works with the East Longmeadow Rec. Department, and they identify children in need of help to pay for summer camp, and we sponsor their tuition,” he said.

Obernesser added that the association is trying to get into contact with Tom Hanah, Mike LeClair, Bruce Godwin, Dave Cordone, Peter Jansson, and Nick Lolas from the 1981-1982 boys swim team. He said that anyone with their contact information can send him an email at ned@nedobie.com.

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