LAKEWOOD – Every year, the process to determine who will be inducted into the Chautauqua Sports Hall of Fame remains a lengthy operation.
Hall of Fame President Randy Anderson explained the process during an interview with WNYNewsNow Monday evening before the induction ceremony of the nine-member 2019 Chautauqua Sports Hall of Fame at the Lakewood Rod and Gun Club.
Anderson said, each and every year, officials look at numerous nominations to see who should be inducted.
“Right now, we have more than 120 nominations of file,” Anderson said. “We carefully review every file year after year.”
Anderson also detailed how lengthy it can be to narrow down the nominations.
“It takes us (CSHOF) three months to comb through 120 files,” Anderson explained. “And then, we vote and pick the ones we think are most deserving that particular year.” Anderson added that each of the 30 members of the Board of Directors have a vote as to who they want to induct into the Hall.
According to Anderson, the nominations that weren’t chosen are put back into the “hopper” for reconsideration the following year along with any new nominees.
Anderson also spoke about getting to know eight of the nine inductees, with one of this year’s members, Jack Harper, passing away back in 1950.
“It’s the same take away I have every year” said Anderson. “We have such a tremendous history of sports in our county. The Chautauqua Sports Hall of Fame is honored to be the organization that preserves that history.”
Anderson also added how “tremendous” support has been given by more than 300 organizations and businesses towards the Chautauqua Sports Hall of Fame.
Anderson gave credit to the cross-section of board members who range from all over Chautauqua County. The President said the directors have plenty of experience, and their different expertise in a wide array of sports gives them the ability to determine who deserves to make the Hall of Fame each year.
Anderson, at the end of the interview, spoke about how he feels to be the President of the Chautauqua Sports Hall of Fame. Anderson said his favorite moment involves the inductees and their loved ones.
“The greatest joy I have as the President of this organization is to meet our inductees and their families.
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