Bay County Sports Hall of Fame

The Bay County Sports Hall of Fame (est. 1990 in Bay City, Michigan) is a non-profit organization dedicated to residents and natives of Bay County who have achieved greatness in any sport. The organization holds an annual banquet to honor its yearly inductees, which each year include a handful of individuals as well as one or two entire sports teams. A small scholarship is also awarded to one outstanding student-athlete from each major high school in the county. The current President is O. J. Cunningham, Jr.

History

Origins

A spontaneous 1989 meeting of Bay City locals Denny Hayes, Dave Rogers, and Jerry Spencer led to the creation of the organization, inspired by murals of local athletes that had been painted in a Bay City tavern. A larger group began to gather in the Bay County Community Center, and the original by-laws were written in 1990. The first induction ceremony was held in October 1991.

Milestones

* In 1994, the Scholarship program for area high school students was created.
* In 1996, an entire high school team was inducted for the first time.
* In 2001, the first adult recreational sports team was inducted.
* In 2006, the first pony league world series game in bay city history was won by Bay County Red, an all-star team of players from bay county pony league

Past Presidents

* Frank Walsh, 1990-1991
* Lee DeLorge, 1992
* Art Nixon, 1993-1994
* O. J. Cunningham, Jr., 1995-present

election Process

A screening committee selects a group of between 25 and 40 candidates for consideration, which have been submitted by the public throughout the previous year. Files detailing the qualifications of each candidate are reviewed by the committee and a list of 25 names are placed on the official ballot. This official ballot is mailed to all Voting Members of the organization, which include all past directors, inductees, and Life Members. The ballots are counted, and in July of each year, the winners are notified. Those who accept are honored at the annual banquet in October, and a plaque with their name is displayed prominently at the city's Community Center.

Public Participation

*A one-time contribution to the organization's efforts allows one to become a Life Member, which entitles the donor to the privilege of voting on future inductees for life.
*Anyone is able to submit a nomination form to suggest the inclusion of a local individual or team in the Hall of Fame. The submission form is available online at [http://www.baycountysports.com/nomination.htm this location] .
*All area high school students are encouraged to apply for the [http://www.baycountysports.com/scholarship.htm Bay County Sports Hall of Fame Scholarship] , which is awarded to an outstanding athlete who also maintains at least a 2.0 GPA.

External links

* [http://www.baycountysports.com Bay County Sports Hall of Fame]
* [http://www.baycountysports.com/speck_of_immortality.htm A Speck of Immortality]
* [http://www.co.bay.mi.us/bay/home.nsf/Public/Bay_County_Community_Center.htm Bay County Community Center]
*Coverage from [http://www.mybaycity.com/ MyBayCity.com] :
** [http://www.mybaycity.com/scripts/Article_View.cfm?ArticleID=1337&NewspaperID=0 2006 Ceremony]
** [http://www.mybaycity.com/scripts/Article_View.cfm?ArticleID=921&NewspaperID=0 2005 Ceremony]
** [http://www.mybaycity.com/scripts/Article_ViewB.cfm?ArticleID=577&NewspaperID=0 2004 Ceremony]
** [http://www.mybaycity.com/scripts/Article_ViewB.cfm?ArticleID=318&NewspaperID=0 2003 Ceremony]
** [http://www.mybaycity.com/scripts/Article_ViewB.cfm?ArticleID=90&NewspaperID=0 2002 Ceremony]