National Honorees Bob & Chris Hurley and Local Honoree
The Jimmy Fund Golf Committee of Western Mass. to be Recognized
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - The Basketball Hall of Fame and The Rotary Club of Springfield have announced the honorees for the 10th annual Basketball Hall of Fame / Springfield Rotary “Service Above Self” Luncheon presented by Westfield Bank. This year’s distinguished honorees are Bob & Chris Hurley and the Jimmy Fund Golf Committee of Western Massachusetts.
Many notable individuals from the Western MA community and the sports world have been recognized at The Service Above Self luncheons throughout the years. All honorees exemplify the Rotary motto of “Service Above Self”. This year, the event will be held at The Basketball Hall of Fame’s Center Court, on Friday, November 22nd at noon.
“We’re honored to be recognizing The Jimmy Fund Golf Committee and Bob & Chris Hurley for their commitment to philanthropy and service,” said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Basketball Hall of Fame. “The lives and communities they have changed through their outstanding social work is truly exceptional. We encourage those in the Springfield area to join us in congratulating these remarkable people who have made an undeniable impact on the people and organizations around them.”
“The Rotary Club of Springfield is thrilled to be partnering with the Basketball Hall of Fame for the tenth time in recognizing service above self on the national and local level, said Bert Carter, President of The Rotary Club of Springfield. “This event has become a must attend on calendars across the Greater Springfield area. We are honored to have recognized all the recipients over the ten years the event has been in existence. We also especially pleased to recognize this year's awardees; Coach and Mrs. Hurley and the Jimmy Fund Golf Committee of Western Mass.”
Coach Bob Hurley and his wife Chris Hurley have more than exemplified what it means to live by the Rotary Club’s motto of “Service Above Self”. Hurley has dedicated himself to the betterment of young people within the New Jersey community through his commitment to the St. Anthony’s High School and other youth programs throughout the years. His distinguished coaching abilities have enabled him to compile more than 1,000 wins while winning four USA TODAY national championships. Hurley was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010. Bob has impacted the lives of thousands of young people through the marriage of his passion for basketball, unique coaching skill set, and his desire to serve the community.
Remarkably, St. Anthony’s High School had no home court due to ongoing critical funding challenges. Bob was joined by his wife, Chris, who worked tirelessly behind the scenes in order to fundraise for St. Anthony’s High School. They were able to keep the school afloat for many years while sending over 150 players to college on scholarship. Throughout the Hurley’s lives they have taken it upon themselves to be the first to implement the changes that they want to see in themselves, as well as their neighbors.
Since 2017, Bob and Chris have remained steady in their pursuit of recovering their community. Their social outreach efforts through the Hurley Family Foundation has continued to influence young athletes through running free basketball programs. These programs are to help better prepare young athletes who have the skills, but not necessarily the resources to hone their talent for the next stage of their careers. The Hurleys hope to continue to inspire others to join them in their philanthropic work and mission to uplift their community in every way they can.
The Jimmy Fund Golf Tournament / Jeffrey Vinick Memorial began in 1980 as the Jimmy Fund Celebrity Golf Tournament initiated by James Sadowsky, Stuart Meyers, and Myron Skolnick. In year one they raised a total of $2,500 to support the life-saving work of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. In 1983, The Golf tournament officially became the Jimmy Fund Golf Tournament / Jeffrey Vinick Memorial in memory of a very special young man that died of cancer. This death furthered their zeal in making sure they went above and beyond to save more lives. In just the third year, the tournament was able to add a second golf course and as a result raised $33,500.
Over the years, the Jimmy Fund Golf Committee of Western Mass. has continued to evolve the tournament in remarkable ways. The tournament has expanded its reach with sponsorship growth, as well as organizing over 100 volunteers to assist every year. Through the commitment of these generous sponsors and the dedication of the volunteers over their 40-year tenure, they have raised close to $12 million for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
Tickets and sponsorship opportunities to the luncheon are still available. Individual tickets are $75. For more information on sponsorships or to purchase tickets to the luncheon, contact Paul Lambert with the Basketball Hall of Fame at 413-231-5502 or [email protected].
“Service Above Self” Award Winners:
2018: John Calipari, Jeb Balise
2013: Vinny Del Negro, Paul & Diana Doherty
2017: Jack & Colette Dill, Nancy Lieberman
2016: Spencer Haywood, Susan J. Kaplan
2015: Mike Glenn, Henry Thomas
2014: Bob Delaney, Bob Perry, York Mayo
2013: Vinny Del Negro, Paul & Diana Doherty
2012: Jim Calhoun, The D’Amour Family
2011: Rebecca Lobo, Charles Ryan
2010: Bob Lanier, Dan Roulier
About Rotary International
Rotary International is the world's first service club organization, with more than 1.2 million members in 33,000 clubs worldwide. Rotary club members are volunteers who work locally, regionally, and internationally to combat hunger, improve health and sanitation, provide education and job training, promote peace, and eradicate polio under the motto “Service Above Self”. The Springfield Rotary Club meets every Friday at 12:15 p.m. in the Mass Mutual Room at The Basketball Hall of Fame on Hall of Fame Avenue. For more information on the Rotary Club of Springfield or becoming a member, please visit their website at www.springfieldmarotary.org.
About Westfield Bank
Founded in 1853, Westfield Bank is a federally chartered thrift that is insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). The Bank has twenty-two full-service offices in Agawam, Chicopee, East Longmeadow, Feeding Hills, Holyoke, Ludlow, South Hadley, Southwick, Springfield, Ware, Westfield, and West Springfield, Massachusetts; Enfield and Granby, Connecticut. The Bank also plans to open a full-service banking office in West Hartford, CT and in one in a neighboring Hartford-area community to be announced.
About the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
Located in Springfield, Massachusetts, the city where basketball was born, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an independent non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to promoting, preserving and celebrating the game of basketball at every level – men and women, amateur and professional players, coaches and contributors, both domestically and internationally. The Hall of Fame museum is home to more than 400 inductees and over 40,000 square feet of basketball history. Nearly 200,000 people visit the Hall of Fame museum each year to learn about the game, experience the interactive exhibits and test their skills on the Jerry Colangelo "Court of Dreams." Best known for its annual marquee Enshrinement Ceremony honoring the game’s elite, the Hall of Fame also operates over 70 high school and collegiate competitions annually throughout the country and abroad. For more information on the Basketball Hall of Fame organization, its museum and events, visit www.hoophall.com, follow @hoophall or call 1-877-4HOOPLA.