05/18/2024
Greater Niagara Sports Hall of Fame rebrands with eye toward the future
by Nick Sabato | nick.sabato@gnnewspaper.com
The Niagara Falls Sports Hall of Fame has been rebranded, complete with a new name, new logo and a new approach.
Now officially the Greater Niagara Sports Hall of Fame, the organization created in 1968 to celebrate local athletes, has changed its name to reflect its coverage of Niagara Falls, Niagara Wheatfield and the Lewiston areas. GNSHOF is also aiming to step into 2024, digging into the design of a website instead of the page it currently uses, while also establishing a blog during the interim.
Former president Joe Rizzo and vice president Dan Bazzani have resigned — but will remain on the board of directors — and have been replaced by Joel Holka and Gary Burns, respectively. Chris Robins is the secretary, while Joe Colosi is the treasurer and Paul Smith is the sergeant at arms.
Rose Polk, Dave Perreault and Peter Eodice have joined the board, alongside incumbents William Ross, Chuck Ogrodowski, Mark Gabrielle, Bill Clingersmith and Frank Rotundo. Holka’s aim, knowing that most of the active members are aging, is to guarantee the Hall of Fame continues to be a lasting endeavor and that a younger generation will keep it rolling.
“It’s going to be a transition, but we’re going in the right direction,” Holka said. “The technology is where it’s at now. But a lot of the older people that are possible applicants don’t don’t use technology yet. So it’s a weird dynamic, but we’ll get it right.”
Part of keeping GNSHOF prosperous is also casting a broader net to potential inductees, with Holka hoping teams can eventually be honored instead of just individuals. Holka also wants to see more women and people of color.
The Hall of Fame has established 55 years old as the age requirement to be nominated, and because of the late boom in women’s sports in the United States, the first woman — Debbie (Williams) Southward — wasn’t inducted until 2018 and she is still one of just six to be honored. Pam Vogel, a 2022 inductee, was the first woman named to the board in 2023 and Polk is now the lone female currently on the board.
Additionally, there has been an absence of people of color in the Hall of Fame, with numbers not proportionate to Niagara Falls and Niagara County populations. John Wesley Patterson, a member of the indigenous community, was posthumously inducted last year, but a Black person has not been honored since 2015 and people who identify as Black make up nearly 18% of the Niagara Falls population, double from 1970, according to Census.gov.
“We’re looking for more female athletes,” Holka said. “It’s not just an old-boys club. … So we definitely wanted to address both of those areas. … We’re trying to fix that. So, basically, that’s a definite point of emphasis.”
Voting will take place at the end of July and the Hall of Fame is still searching for candidates for the Pep DiRamio Service Award, given to a coach, umpire or volunteer who has impacted local sports. DiRamio started the GNSHOF as the Old-timers Hall of Fame in 1968.
The award in DiRamio’s name was established in 1975 and has been awarded every year except 2020 due to COVID-19 and 2022.
“My goal is to get twice as many applicants as we need so we can whittle them down and maybe move those other ones to the next year,” Holka said. “Because the max we can put in is 10 in one year.”
Those who wish to nominate an athlete or coach can scan the attached QR code or contact Holka at joelholka@gmail.com or 716-870-0564 by June 30. This year’s banquet will be held on Oct. 19 at Antonio’s Banquet and Conference Center.
