Seeking nominations

Berwick Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony set for Sept. 24

Preparations are underway for the 24th Berwick Sports Hall of Fame induction and recognition ceremony.

The event will take place on Saturday, Sept. 24, at the Kings Mutual Century Centre (KMCC) in Berwick.

The hall committee is now accepting nominations from the public in any of the four categories (athlete, builder, team or special). Nominations are due by June 1.

“We have been tremendously impressed and, to some extent, surprised by the number and quality of nominations put forth every year by the public,” said committee chair Mike Trinacty. “The rich sport heritage is obvious in our community.”

He strongly encourages people to check out the Hall of Fame on the Town website and to nominate any individual or team they feel are deserving.

In the last 23 years, 54 athletes, 35 builders, 39 teams and four in the special category have been inducted into the hall. The citation with a photo of each hang in the upper foyer of the KMCC. There are numerous sweater boxes of jackets and jerseys representing Berwick’s sport history that hang directly above the citations. There are also five cases of memorabilia that displays various items from Berwick’s past.

Trinacty said there has been tremendous support for the work of the Hall of Fame over the years from both residents and businesses. More than 30 businesses provide financial support annually while residents provide support by attending and promoting the event and by supplying the committee with nominations. The four categories are: Athlete – An eligible candidate must have been from the community and had outstanding success in Berwick or another community. They could also be from another area but played on a team that played out of Berwick. An eligible athlete must be retired from the sport or accomplishment for five years.

Builder – A builder can be a coach, official, administrator, volunteer or sponsor that is either from the community and participated as a sport builder elsewhere or contributed to a sport that played out of Berwick.

Team – A team is eligible if they played out of Berwick and had an outstanding accomplishment. It can be from any age group.

Special induction is for those who don’t quite fit the other three categories but deserve acknowledgement.

Nomination forms are available on the town’s website under news or by contacting Jordan Hebb at the town office. For more information, contact Trinacty at 902-9941958 or mike.trinacty@gmail. com or Hebb at 902-538-8616 or jhebb@berwick.ca.