Recognition event set July 1 for former Fitch coach Garcia

CANFIELD -- Last year, Lynn Lunn threw a surprise 50th birthday party for her husband, Bob, who lives in Santa Barbara, Calif.
Bob Lunn was a former standout runner at Austintown Fitch High under longtime coach Mike Garcia, who coached the Falcons from 1968-97. Several former Fitch runners were there, including distance legend Alan Scharsu (who lives in San Diego) and Chuck Baker, who lives in Austintown.
"We sat around Bob's house and started talking about Mike," said Baker, a 1971 Fitch High graduate. "We realized that he never got the recognition he deserved for all he did for so many us."
Now he will.
A tribute to Garcia, now an assistant track coach at Howland, will be held July 1 at 6 p.m. at Tippecanoe Country Club in Canfield. The event is open to his former runners as well as anyone who has benefited from his coaching.
"I was shocked at the camaraderie we had [at Lunn's party]," said Baker, whose daughters, Amanda and Sarah, ran for Fitch under Rich Kempe. "[Garcia] is a big Norman Vincent Peale guy. He believes in the power of positive thinking.
"That's something we haven't forgotten about. We want to recognize and thank him."
Tickets cost $25. For information, call Bob Lunn at (805) 450-6646 or e-mail boblu@hotmail.com.