Athletes, builders honoured during first-ever induction ceremony
COMMUNITY Jul 01, 2019 by Sarah Hyatt Northumberland News
Wheelchair racing champion Frank Mazza, centre, was among the athletes inducted into the Cobourg and District Sports Hall of Fame on June 22. He is seen here with his sister Anna Kovacic, left, Gil Brocanier, sports hall of fame board member, and Doug Montgomery, his former coach. - Patrick Quigley photo
NHL great Steve Smith, right, was among the athletes inducted into the Cobourg and District Sports Hall of Fame on June 22. He is seen here with Liz Basinger, a sports hall of fame board member and former coach of Smith’s. They walked on stage holding hands. - Patrick Quigley photo
Fastball legend Marty Kernaghan was among the athletes inducted into the Cobourg and District Sports Hall of Fame on June 22. - Patrick Quigley photo
NHL great Steve Smith is seen here with Ross Quigley’s grandkids, Kaitlyn, Marnee and Trevor DeJong, at the Cobourg and District Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony on June 22. - Patrick Quigley photo
More than 200 people attended the first-ever Cobourg and District Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony, held at the Best Western Plus Cobourg Inn and Convention Centre on June 22. - Patrick Quigley photo
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COBOURG — With NHL and fastball stars in attendance, the first round of outstanding athletes and builders was officially inducted into the Cobourg and District Sports Hall of Fame.
“From the sporting community’s point of view, I think this will be the highlight of the year — and I think seeing the inductees and their families at this event will continue to be a highlight every year from this point on,” said Ross Quigley, president of the Hall of Fame’s board of directors.
With more than 200 people in attendance, on June 22, at the Best Western Plus Cobourg Inn and Convention Centre, the first-ever eight inductees into the Hall of Fame were honoured during an induction dinner and ceremony.
The inductees included Paul Currelly, Layton Dodge, Fred Dufton, Don Ito, Marty Kernaghan, Frank Mazza, Bill O’Neil and Steve Smith.
For Quigley and other sports enthusiasts who’ve been working to bring the Hall of Fame to life since 2016, June 22 was an emotional, but rewarding evening.
“I think everyone who did speeches — they were unbelievable,” said Quigley. “For me, there were a couple of really touching moments.”
Several inductees attended the ceremony. For the deceased inductees, family and friends delivered speeches and accepted honours on behalf of their loved ones.
Among the touching moments for Quigley was seeing Smith, an NHL coach and former hockey star, return to town and speak at the ceremony.
Despite being in the limelight for 25 to 30 years, and playing and coaching with some of the biggest NHL teams, he was so humble — and because of his pedigree, he likely impressed absolutely everyone, said Quigley.
“He started to tear up when talking about being raised in Cobourg and how his dad worked three jobs so his boys could play hockey.”
And then there was Kernaghan, who was once considered the best fastball player in the world.
The Grafton-born resident won several baseball and softball championships, played in world tournaments, was named an International Softball Congress (ISC) all-world all-star eight times, and in 2002 was elected to the ISC Fastball Hall of Fame.
He was outstanding when he spoke with attendees — and he, too, got very emotional when talking about his roots here, said Quigley.
Mazza, a wheelchair racing champion and Paralympic and Olympic medalist, who has cerebral palsy, and can now only really say thank you and yes or no, brought the crowd to their feet twice, receiving two standing ovations. Mazza was also already a Hall of Famer, with an induction into the Ontario Cerebral Palsy Sports Hall of Fame.
Mazza sported a “big smile” onstage and it was so great to see how much this meant to him, said Quigley.
The other inductees:
Dodge: A longtime sports writer and statistician, who never wavered in his loving and equal coverage both house league and rep players. He volunteered and supported his community in countless ways and roles.
Currelly: An all-around athlete and dedicated coach. He was a major influencer in local women’s softball for 40 years and was a founding member of the Cobourg Girls Softball League.
Dufton: Started the Red Raiders football team, which later became the Galloping Ghosts, the most famous of all teams in local sports history. His record included eight Ontario titles and three Canadian titles in 13 years.
Ito: A multi-sport athlete who won championships in drag racing and as a water-skier. He shattered records at national competitions.
O’Neil: “Mr. Softball” coached and volunteered for several teams in the Cobourg Team League for 40 years. He coached four-championship juvenile teams in the 1970s.
This momentous occasion really was a true celebration of the lives of these sports builders and athletes, said Quigley.
by Sarah Hyatt
Email: shyatt@northumberlandnews.com
The Cobourg Galloping Ghosts are the most famous team in Cobourg sports history. Managed by Fred Dufton, the Ghosts won eight Ontario championships, five after World War II. They were Canadian Dominion champions in 1946, 1948 and 1950. They were the first team in Canada to wear aluminum cleats and the second to wear white uniforms.
