2005 Greater Charlotte Sports Hall of Fame Dinner Set for April 16
Posted: 03-08-2005 :

Greater Charlotte Sports Hall of Fame will be honored at a dinner celebration and tribute on the evening of April 16, 2005, at the Panthers Den at Bank of America Stadium. Proceeds from the event will benefit Charlotte/Mecklenburg Senior Centers, Inc.

The four 2005 inductees are:
- Bobby Jones, collegiate and professional basketball player
- Bruton Smith, motorsports pioneer
- David Thompson, collegiate and professional basketball player
- Hoyt Wilhelm, professional baseball player (posthumous award)

John M. Belk, former Charlotte Mayor and recently retired chief executive of the Belk department store organization, is honorary chairman of the event. Sponsors of the dinner include: Aten Family Dentistry, Bank of America, Belk, Inc., Boyles Furniture, Carolinas Sports Entertainment Television, Creative Cubes, Diageo, Edifice, Inc., Greenspon & Associates, Hood Hargett, Lowe's Motor Speedway, Resources for Senior Living, Southern Sports Journal, Spotlight Magazine, Time Warner Cable, The Charlotte Observer, UCS Spirit, and UNC-Chapel Hill.

Sports stars and celebrities expected to attend the dinner include Brooks Robinson, Baltimore Orioles third baseman and National Baseball Hall of Fame inductee; Dean Smith, former University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill head basketball coach; Roman Gabriel, sportscaster and former N.C. State University and Los Angeles Rams quarterback; Joe DeLamielleure, NFL Hall of Fame inductee and former offensive lineman for the Buffalo Bills and Cleveland Browns; Dell Curry, Charlotte NBA Bobcats executive and former NBA player with the Charlotte Hornets; Tommy Burleson, former N.C. State University basketball team star; and others.

The gala event (formal business attire) will feature a cocktail reception with live music beginning at 7 p.m., followed by dinner at 8 p.m. The awards presentation ceremony will include video tributes to the inductees and introductions by friends and colleagues. A silent auction of sports memorabilia and other items will be held. Tickets to the charitable event are $150 each. For information or reservations, call 704-369-0383 or visit the http://www.charlottehalloffame.com  website .

About the Greater Charlotte Sports Hall of Fame
The inaugural inductees of the Greater Charlotte Sports Hall of Fame in 2004 were: Jim Beatty, the late Dale Earnhardt, Jeff Mullins and Floyd "Chunk" Simmons.

Members of the 2005 Greater Charlotte Sports Hall of Fame's selection committee that chose the 2005 honorees include Jim Babb, Jim Beatty, Jeff Beaver, John M. Belk, Dell Curry, Ron Green, Sr., Bill Hensley, Max Muhleman, Judy Rose, Dick Thigpen, and H.A. "Humpy" Wheeler.

The Greater Charlotte Sports Hall of Fame was established in the fall of 2003 as an entity to recognize and honor outstanding sports figures from the Charlotte region and to create greater public awareness of the area's rich sports history and heritage. The Sports Hall of Fame inducts up to five members annually. Inductees must be 50 years old or older, have distinguished themselves through their exemplary sports achievements and good character, and have brought positive recognition to the greater Charlotte region. The honorees must be from the region (Mecklenburg County and contiguous counties) and/or have resided here for an aggregate of 10 years or more. Deserving sports figures may also be inducted posthumously.

The vision and long term goal of the Sports Hall of Fame is to spotlight individuals who have brought recognition and fame to themselves and the Charlotte region through their sports achievements, and eventually to have a permanent exhibit dedicated to preserving the memory and telling the stories of these athletes.

About the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Senior Centers, Inc. (CMSC)
The mission of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Senior Centers, Inc. is to enrich the lives of older adults in Charlotte and Mecklenburg County, according to CMSC President Jonathan Howard. The 21-year-old non-profit organization sponsors educational and social programs and provides a variety of resources for seniors from its main location at 2225 Tyvola Road and another location on Shamrock Drive near the Aldersgate Retirement Community. The executive director of CMSC is Trena K. Palmer, MPA/MSW.

Examples of CMSC programs that are making a positive difference in the lives of Charlotte/Mecklenburg seniors include:
- Education: computer classes, drama and arts, English and Spanish classes
- Friendly Visitors: recruits and places volunteers to visit homebound elderly
- Grand Care: assists grandparents and other kin in raising children - Health and Wellness: exercise classes, fitness suite, health screenings and workshops
- Multicultural program: outreach to Latin American, Chinese, Russian and Asian immigrants
- Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP): recruits and places volunteers
- Senior Employment Program: job counseling, training and placement
- Senior Nutrition program: provides low-cost meals to seniors daily
- Senior Respite Caregivers: provides sitters to grandparents raising grandchildren
- Telephone Reassurance: provides daily contact to homebound isolated elderly

For more information: http://www.charlotteseniorcenters.org  .