For the 4th straight year, fans and athletes gathered together to witness another exciting edition of the Sacramento Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration. In front of a packed house at Thunder Valley Casino Resort the evening featured a sterling presentation of the Class of 2016 with homegrown superstars: Evelyn Ashford, Larry Bowa, Urijah Faber, Jerry Manuel and Jerry Royster being honored. With the return of past inductees Dusty Baker, Loreto Garza, LeRon Lee, Tony “The Tiger” Lopez, James Owens and Danielle Viglione along with numerous other Hall of Fame nominees it was another great night of fun and tribute for athletes and fans alike.
Once again, the night featured the inclusion of a Special Olympics athlete. This year’s recipient was Deanne Bridges whose story of tremendous accomplishments which include over 250 medals during her 25 years with Special Olympics. Her perseverance and dedication can only be outdone by her glowing personality!
The night was filled with emotion as all the inductees were overcome by joy and honor. Fans were treated to an up close and personal look at each athlete’s family history and got the behind the scenes feel of their storied careers. The true character of our athletes showed as they were so appreciative of the recognition and support that was given by all their fans. The raw emotions were on display as fans were able to see a side of these iconic stars that is not always revealed.
It was another successful celebration that saw five more homegrown genuine people join the ranks as Sacramento’s greatest athletes; bringing a total of 20 into our fraternity of the Sacramento Sports Hall of Fame. Thanks to everyone who worked so hard on this amazing evening: our staff, Thunder Valley Casino Resort, our inductees, their families and the fans for their continued support.
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Click here to see the list of inductees and their videos.
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