Ebony Lifeline will induct 13 into HOF

Photo

Nick Mays | Special to The Vindicator: Preparing for the Ebony Lifeline Support Group’s All-Sports Banquet are, from left to right, William Allen, Toni DiMargio, Pat Traylor and Frances Prayor Singleton.

HALL OF FAME BANQUET

Sports inductees

Robert Alexander: track, football.

Barbara Cooper: bowling.

Kevin Douglas: basketball.

James Fortune: community service, football, coach.

Merrill Harris: track and field official.

Phillip Harris: football, coach.

Calvin Harrison: golf, baseball, football.

Ronnie “Sly” Jones: baseball.

Sonia Medina: baseball.

Shorty Navarro: community service.

Jackie Rios-Jackson: baseball, community service.

Donald Shaw: bowling.

Melvin Watkins: basketball, author.

YOUNGSTOWN

To help promote pride in the minority community, Ebony Lifeline Support Group has scheduled its 15th All-Sports Banquet on Friday at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Social Hall, 343 Via Mount Carmel.

The event will begin at 6 p.m., and dinner will be served at 7. After dinner new nominees will be inducted into the Ebony Lifeline Hall of Fame.

The Rev. Tarone Claybrooke will be the master of ceremonies, and the guest speaker will be John Pride, federal consultant of the Head Start program and an East High School athlete of 1958.

For the seventh year, Ebony Lifeline will present the McCollough Williams Jr. Community Service Award to a junior or senior minority student from Youngstown City Schools who has served the community and participates in sports.

Anyone wishing to join the celebration may buy banquet tickets at $30 per person or $220 for a table of eight by calling Bob Thomas at 330-261-1825 or Pat Traylor at 330-792-0234. Tickets also will be available for purchase at the door.

A special invitation is extended to previous inductees.

Ebony Lifeline, a self-help group for minorities, has founded a sports exhibit to enhance the minority community. The exhibit, which features pictures and trophies from local athletes, is housed in the Mahoning Valley Historical Society building on Wick Avenue.

In 1984, through the efforts of Robert Thomas and Luther Stubbs, Ebony Lifeline Support Group was developed to provide an alternative to minority residents who had difficulty using other self-help groups.

Since then, the alternative approach has expanded, with four such groups in the Youngstown-Warren area. Anyone who is seeking help can contact Ebony Lifeline Support Group regarding recovery issues that are specific and unique to minorities.

Meetings take place from 7 to 8 p.m. Sundays at Homeless Solutions Passages, 550 W. Chalmers St., and at 2 p.m. Thursdays at 74 Kenmore Ave.

For more information call Bob Thomas at 330-261-1825.