FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more information contact:
Greg Marecek (314-752-1570)
Myron Holtzman (314-469-0210)
ST. LOUIS SPORTS HALL OF FAME ADDS SPECIAL OLYMPICS
AWARD TO NOVEMBER 16 ENSHRINEMENT DINNER

ST. LOUIS (July 11, 2010) — The St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame will initiate a new award during its second annual Enshrinement Ceremony scheduled Tuesday, November 16, at the Millennium Hotel in downtown St. Louis.

The “Special Olympics Athlete of the Year” award will be presented to a special Olympian as part of the evening’s festivities, which will include presentations to the list of 16 individuals who will be enshrined at the dinner. The Special Olympian will be selected through competition conducted by the St. Louis Special Olympics organization.

“This is an exciting opportunity for our Special Olympic children and young adults and we thank the St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame for recognizing the exceptional effort and dedication by our athletes,” said Jackie Rahm, Area Director for the Special School District for Special Olympics Missouri.

Meanwhile, St. Louis Blues’ Hall of Famers Brett Hull and Al MacInnis are among the list of 16 individuals and several special achievement award winners who will be inducted as the second class of the St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame..

“We expect this extraordinary class of inductees and special achievement wnners to draw an even bigger crowd than the 1,300 that packed the ballroom for the first class,” predicts Greg Marecek, founder and president of the St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame..

In addition to Hull and MacInnis the class also will include: former three-time U.S. Open champion Hale Irwin, St. Louis Rams Super Bowl champion coach Dick Vermeil, former Rams’ running back Marshall Faulk, former St. Louis Cardinal catcher Ted Simmons, basketball great Sen. Steve Stipanovich, tennis champion Butch Buchholz, former Big Red quarterback Jim Hart, former St. Louis Hawks star Cliff Hagen, soccer great Pat McBride, and several others..

In addition, these Special Achievement Awards will be presented:
• The Heart of Gold Award: Monsignor Louis Meyer for his decades-long contributions to the Catholic Youth Council
• The President’s Choice Award: Rawlings Sporting Goods as a national leader in sports products
• The Star of the Game Award: former Cardinal slugger and playoff hero Jack Clark
• Community Service and Humanitarian Award: Cardinals Care for their wonderful contributions to kids in the community
• The St. Louis Award for Past Champions: Budweiser’s 1950s Bowling Team
• The Metro Legend Award: Legendary Cleveland High School football coach Ray Cliffe“.”
• Award of Champions: To be shared by Lindenwood University athletics for their many team championships, and Washington University for the women’s national championship in Division III basketball..

To qualify for the St. Louis Shrine, nominees needed to have been born or simply played in St. Louis either as amateurs or professionals, from the high school ranks to the professional leagues. Some 100 ballots were distributed to former athletes and members of the media..

All living honorees and special achievement award winners have committed to attending the November dinner.

Individual tickets are $150 and tables of ten are $1,250. Reservations are being accepted online at www.stlouissportshalloffame.com,or by calling toll free 1-888-627-3235, ext. 710. Checks or money orders, made out to the Hall of Fame, can be mailed to P.O. Box 190833,St. Louis, Mo. 63119.