Vestavia Hills Sports Hall of Fame project making progress

By NEAL EMBRY

A Hall of Fame honoring sports heroes from Vestavia Hills will be a “centerpiece” of the new Vestavia Hills Civic Center, said committee president and Board of Education member Jay Stewart.

The committee is using ExpoDisplays to create the memorial, which will not only honor those who contributed to sports within the city, but those who had excellent careers in athletics and hail from Vestavia Hills, Stewart said. That includes those who hold international athletic records, NCAA records and more, he said.

“It’s long overdue,” Stewart said. “It’s just a fantastic representation of sports heroes who grew up in our community.”

Design work for the Hall of Fame is in its final stages and committee approval should happen soon, Stewart said. The city has already authorized all it is responsible for, council member Rusty Weaver said.

More than half of the funds for the project have been raised and secured by the city and organizers. Construction will begin following design approval, Stewart said. The project is being paid for with privately raised funds, Weaver said.

The Hall of Fame will begin by honoring current inductees from the classes of 2010 and 2012. The class of 2010 is: Buddy Anderson, Fran Braasch, Sammy Dunn, Casey Dunn, Chris Hammond, Trey Hardee, David Jordan, Suzanne Olcott, Mutt Reynolds, Jay Waggoner, Jeanne Wilson and Mike Chandler (Distinguished Citizen). The class of 2012 is: Peter Braasch, Steve Gaydosh, Ryan Halla, George Hatchett, Beanie Ketcham, Sam Short, Les Stuedeman and Charlie Dickinson (Distinguished Citizen).

Displays honoring different classes will be able to be rotated as new inductees are honored, Stewart said.

The plans are to include an interactive digital display that can highlight statistics and accolades, along with memorabilia and more, Stewart said.

The hope is to have another class inducted sometime this fall, Stewart said, with new classes inducted every four years.

The timeline for completion is unknown, Stewart said.