The Glynn County Sports Hall of Fame 2020 Induction Banquet originally scheduled for Saturday night at the Jekyll Island Convention Center has been postponed.
The Hall of Fame Board of Directors made the decision to put the banquet on hold due to public health concerns stemming from the coronavirus after talking again Friday morning with the Office of the Governor, the Georgia Department of Public Health and administrators at the convention center which have been in contact with Hall of Fame representatives for several days.
The decision to postpone the biennial induction ceremony was a tough one that ultimately became easy, according to Hall of Fame president Kevin Price.
“We wrestled with this decision for the last several days as things unraveled around the world, especially in our country and even in our community,” Price said. “After discussing the event, the impact that the virus could have on the banquet and the options that we faced whether we went through with the ceremony this weekend or postponed it for a later time, it just became apparent this was the right thing to do based on the many factors that were in play here.
“Obviously, the most important factor was the health and safety of our inductees, their friends and families, our corporate sponsors and our community.
“We were certainly looking forward to a special evening, and it was very disappointing to have to make this decision. No one wants to have this event more than our Board of Directors. A lot of time and energy has been put into putting together another first-class event for our new Hall of Fame members and everyone involved.
“With that said, we look forward to eventually getting to have this ceremony at a later time and have already began discussing plans in that regard.
“We regret any inconvenience this may have caused anyone, but hope everyone will understand our decision. We also ask that you exercise patience and cooperation as we make plans to reschedule this event at a later time and hope those planning to attend this weekend will be able to come at a later time as well. Of course, we continue to appreciate the wonderful support we get from our community to carry out the mission and goals of the local sports hall of fame.”
Going forward, the Hall of Fame plans to work individually with ticket-holders in regards to reimbursements for tickets purchased should that become necessary.
The 2020 class is the seventh induction group for the Hall of Fame which already includes six classes and 35 combined members.
The 2020 inductees were notified of their selection last year and have been waiting for their official induction to take place.
The induction class features LaRon “Bud”Bennett (former Glynn Academy and U.S. track star), Gerald Cox (longtime head basketball coach at College of Coastal Georgia), Mark Drury (former Glynn Academy and University of Georgia golfing great), Carroll Minick (former Glynn Academy and UGA baseball standout), Harold “Red” Roberts (former Glynn Academy football player and Austin Peay star) and Clyde Williams (former Risley High state champion player and coach in basketball).
The Hall of Fame also has plans to honor old Risley High School, its state championship teams and its overall athletic excellence in a special “Salute the Tigers” tribute during the banquet program.
The Hall of Fame is now recognizing local state championship teams on a new display that was unveiled this summer at the new Athletics Center at Glynn County Stadium. The Hall announced at the time of the unveiling that it also planned to honor the state championship teams for each school at future banquets.
The Hall of Fame’s first public display at Southeast Georgia Health System in Brunswick has been relocated within the hospital after recent renovations on the local campus.
You can learn more about the Hall of Fame, its programs and the 2020 Induction class on the Hall of Fame’s website, www.GCSHOF.com.
The Hall of Fame formed as a non-profit organization in 2012.
Comments