Lansing Civic Events: 2019 Greater Lansing Area Sports Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony - - Overview - - Lansing Civic Events - - July 25, 2019 -

THE GREATER LANSING AREA SPORTS HALL OF FAME

INDUCTION CEREMONY

July 25, 2019

By Chuck Krafft

THE GREATER LANSING AREA SPORTS HALL OF FAME

INDUCTION CEREMONY

July 25, 2019

By Chuck Krafft

It was a great time to be in downtown Lansing Thursday night. The Greater Lansing Area Sports Hall of Fame had its 54^th annual induction ceremony to honor some of the many great Lansing Area athletic achievers!!

I played background cocktail piano during the social hour as the 700 attendees mingled and shared stories about their playing and coaching experiences. I always enjoy this. Most people in the athletic community know me mostly for writing The Bleacher Denizen.

https://www.facebook.com/BleacherDenizen/

In another life, I was actually a regular working musician. It’s fun to see the surprise that the Bleacher Denizen actually has another life!

After a fine dinner, Bob Every, the Director of the Hall of Fame thanked the Lansing Center Staff for their work organizing the event as well as preparing and serving the fine dinner. He also thanked the sponsors. After the invocation, Kellie Dean from Dean Transportation also gave a welcoming message and thanked the audience for all the work they do in our Lansing community.

Bob Every thanked Brian Calloway and the Lansing State Journal for publicizing the Hall of Fame and this year’s inductees. He also noted two inductees from the original Class of 1976, Jim Sinadinos and Dean Look are still alive even if they could not be here today.

He also thanked Magic Johnson, who made a $100,000 donation to help keep the Hall of Fame opening. Next, he invited all the Hall of Fame Selection Committee members to come to the stage.

At this point, he invited all the past inductees to the Hall who were present to come to the front and introduce themselves.

Olivia Letts, the widow of Dick Letts, after whom the Community Service Award is named came to the podium and thanked the people in the audience for making Lansing a better place to live by helping to coach and work with young athletes. She also thanked the Hall of Fame for continuing to honor her husband’s name twenty years after he passed away.

This year’s two Dick Letts Community Service Award winners were Roger Love, a Grand Ledge coach and athletic administrator and John Pudliner, who volunteered as a doctor to be present for many Okemos athletic events over the years.

John Pudliner’s son, John accepted the award for his deceased father. He told us that his father loved serving the community and would have been honored if he had been alive. He introduced his family and thanked Bob Every and the Hall of Fame for the award.

Later in the evening, after a few of the inductees had given their acceptance speeches, Roger Love came to the stage to accept his Dick Letts Award.

He had spent many years coaching football and basketball (at various levels) in Grand Ledge. He also owned and operated First Place Sports and supplied uniforms for teams in Grand Ledge. He is currently the Assistant Athletic Director at Grand Ledge.

Roger Love thanked the committee for giving him the award. He was honored to be inducted. He also thanked the administrators at Grand Ledge for giving him the opportunity to work with and coach kids. He thanked his family, especially Sandy, his wife. While she was not able to come because she is in the hospital, she pushed him to attend the ceremony to accept his award.

His final thought was, “It doesn’t matter what you have of don’t have. We all have what somebody needs.”

Here are summaries related to the accomplishments and acceptance speeches of the 2019 inductees!

Denny Myers

https://lansingcivicevents.blogspot.com/2019/07/denny-myers-greater-lansing-area-sports.html

Pat Stump

https://lansingcivicevents.blogspot.com/2019/07/pat-stump-greater-lansing-area-sports.html

Gina Harrington

https://lansingcivicevents.blogspot.com/2019/07/gina-harrington-2019-greater-lansing.html

1947-1949 Vermontville Baseball Team

https://lansingcivicevents.blogspot.com/2019/07/vermontville-baseball-1947-49-greater.html

Judy Tant

https://lansingcivicevents.blogspot.com/2019/07/judy-tant-greater-lansing-area-sports.html

Melissa Kegler

https://lansingcivicevents.blogspot.com/2019/07/melissa-kegler-greater-lansing-area.html

Potterville Volleyball Team - - 1988 to 1990

https://lansingcivicevents.blogspot.com/2019/07/potterville-volleyball-1987-to-1990.html

Dave Poquette

https://lansingcivicevents.blogspot.com/2019/07/dave-poquette-greater-lansing-area.html