Fairfield County Sports Hall of Fame announces 2021 class
The Fairfield County Sports Hall of Fame has announced its 2021 class of inductees, naming eight prominent sports figures into its three wings. With the eight new honorees, the HOF has now recognized 111 county sports legends in its 17 years of existence.
The Hall of Fame, which is overseen by the Fairfield County Sports Commission, Inc., will honor the newly elected Hall of Famers at a later date to be determined. The Commission has postponed its annual Sports Night gala dinner until 2022.
For the first time in the history of the Hall of Fame there was a three-way tie in the voting in one of the wings so additional seventh and eighth inductees are being recognized this year.
The class of 2021 honorees are:
Jackie Robinson Professional Wing:
Cam Atkinson (Riverside), Joe LaCava (Newtown), Chris Smith (Bridgeport) and posthumously Chico Vejar (Stamford)
James O’Rourke Amateur Wing:
Kathy Arendsen (Stratford), Ellie Karvoski (Norwalk)
J. Walter Kennedy Community Service Wing:
Ed Crotty (Danbury) posthumously, Mike Ornato (Greenwich)
With LaCava’s induction being the first selection from Newtown, 21 communities are now represented in the Hall of Fame.
Vejar was one of the most popular and successful boxers of the 1950s in a middleweight career that spanned from 1950-1961. The 1951 Stamford High School graduate, whose birth name was Francis, fought in 116 bouts and posted a career record of 92-20-4 with 43 knockouts. As a teenager, he turned pro as a welterweight and had immediate success, posting a 32-0 mark, earning him the nickname “Stamford’s Socking Schoolboy.” As his career progressed, Vejar moved up to the middleweight class and fought in major arenas around the United States as boxing was coming of age as a television sport, with close to 30 of Vejar’s fights broadcast across the country. While never winning a world title, the 5-foot-8½ Vejar went up against the best fighters in the world in his weight class, including bouts against former middleweight champions Joey Giardello (taking Giardello the full distance on two occasions) and Gene Fullmer, as well as Kid Gavilan and Luis Rodriguez, all International Boxing Hall of Famers. He rose to be the 4th ranked middleweight in the world in 1958. In 1961, he retired at age 29 to spend time with his son, Jimmy, who died the following year at age three from complications resulting from cerebral palsy. Vejar then became a champion advocate for raising awareness and funding for the disease. In December, 2006, Vejar was inducted into the Connecticut Boxing Hall of Fame’s second class. He became a film actor after studying drama at New York University. Vejar died in September 2016 at the age of 85.
Atkinson is entering his 11th NHL season (2011-2021) with a new team after being traded to Philadelphia in July by Columbus, where he had played his entire pro career. Columbus drafted him in 2008 in the 6th round (157th overall) and signed him in March 2011 after an impressive collegiate career at Boston College. As a junior, Atkinson earned first-team All-American honors and was one of three finalists for the Hobey Baker Award. His sophomore year he led the Eagles to the 2010 NCAA title and was the top goal scorer in the country with 31.
The Hall of Fame is housed at Chelsea Piers Connecticut in Stamford. The Hall of Fame is open to the public 7 days per week during regular business hours at the sports complex