Class of ‘18 includes wide array of standouts, all stars and Olympians.

BUFFALO, NY – The 2018 class of the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame features athletes and administrators, Olympians and All Stars, as well as professionals and amateurs – adding to the tapestry of individuals represented in Western New York’s premier athletic hall of fame.

The 15-member class will be inducted during the fall, and includes:

• Werner “Babe” Birrer (D) – Major League and Buffalo Bison pitcher
• Bill Bradshaw – Highly acclaimed college administrator
• Gina Castelli – Canisius College standout hoopster and college coach
• John Faller – Champion Sweet Home football and lacrosse coach
• James Hewson (D) – Track and field Olympian
• Marv Hubbard (D) – Three-time NFL All-Pro fullback
• “Baby” Joe Mesi – Golden Gloves Champion and undefeated heavyweight boxer
• Lonnie Nielsen – PGA golfer and senior tour champion
• Barry Smith – Legendary NHL coach, administrator, Stanley Cup champion
• Louise, Estelle & Mary Weigel (D) – Figure skating champions
• Jimmy “Bug” Williams & Rickey Williams – College and professional basketball standouts
• Jeff Yeates – NFL player and college football standout

(D) Indicates the honoree is being inducted posthumously.

With the 15-member class of 2018, the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame will now have 330 inductees since its inception in 1991.

The date of the induction dinner will be announced in the coming weeks, and the Hall of Fame class will be introduced to the public and the media on Wednesday, June 6 at 4 p.m. in the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, NY.

In addition, when the class is introduced, the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame Board of Directors will also announce its annual monetary awards from its Amateur Sports Development Fund. Money is awarded to amateur athletes, teams and organizations seeking financial assistance to foster the pursuit of a higher level of athletic achievement. Applications are being accepted until May 4 for the 2018 awards. Interested parties can apply at www.buffalosportshallfame.com/apply-for-funds/.

The Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame honors those who have enhanced our lives with their performances and commitment to Western New York sports, an effort surpassed only by the positive impressions they have left on our athletes of tomorrow.

For more information on the press conference, please contact Tom Burns at 716-286-8580.

Forever Enshrined in the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame

The Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of fame inducted the class of 2017 on November 1st in a gala event at the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center. All of this year’s inductees were in attendance, along with family members of the sports heroes who were inducted posthumously. This event marked the 27th class to be inducted into the Hall of Fame since its inception in 1991, bringing the total of inductees to 315.

2017 Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame Inductees:

• Charles Daniels (D) – Olympic Swimming Gold Medalist
• Danny DiLiberto – World Champion Billiards Player and Pro Boxer
• Sandra Hollander (D) – Buffalo State Softball Coach
• Willie “Hutch” Jones – Basketball Player – Bishop Turner, Vanderbilt and NBA
• Mike Keiser – World Renowned Golf Course Developer
• E.J. McGuire (D) – NHL Hockey Administrator, Coach
• Charles O’Brien – WNY High School Volleyball Coach and Pioneer
• Danny Ozark (D) – Major League Baseball Manager
• Vaughn Parker – Football Player, St. Joe’s Collegiate, UCLA and NFL
• Michael Peca – Buffalo Sabres Hockey Player
• Stacey Schroeder-Watt – Shotput and Discus Record Holder and NCAA All-American
• Tom Terhaar – Award Winning Olympic Rowing Coach

To see photos and bios of the class of 2017 click on http://www.buffalosportshallfame.com/members/class-of-2017/

To watch the ceremony in full please clink on http://www.buffalosportshallfame.com/2017-induction-ceremonies-rebroadcast/