Armstrong County Sports Hall of Fame banquet canceled

The Armstrong County Sports Hall of Fame’s 48th annual induction banquet, scheduled for April 26 at Laube Hall in Freeport, has been canceled, the organization’s secretary, Dennis Wolfe, confirmed Tuesday.

The decision came in a unanimous telephone vote of the board of governors Monday evening in conjunction with the continuing efforts to combat the spread of the covid-19 virus.

“It was just the right thing to do,” Wolfe said. “This isn’t something that is just going to go away in the short term. With everything involved, we felt it was in the best interest of everyone to cancel the event.”

Wolfe said the inductees have been contacted and informed of the decision.

“They all agree with what we are doing,” he said.

Wolfe said there are too many logistical issues involved that make it difficult to reschedule for a later date this year.

The plaques, he said, already were ordered and engraved with the April 26 date, and they will be mailed to the inductees.

Next year’s banquet is set for April 25 at Laube Hall, and this year’s inductees will be invited to that ceremony.

“We are going to have a double induction that night and will recognize both classes,” Wolfe said. “We’ll also invite this year’s students to be recognized. A number of them might still be in college and might not be able to get back. It will be a little bit bigger group, but we want to make sure everyone is honored.”

Wolfe said the hall of fame is working to refund the cost of the tickets purchased for this year’s banquet.

“If they wish to come next year, we will help them reorder the tickets,” Wolfe said. “(The ticket refunds) are the biggest thing we’re working on right now.”

The 11-member Class of 2020, announced earlier this year, represents a wide range of athletic accomplishments in multiple sports from the past several decades in Armstrong County.