The Blair County Sports Hall of Fame’s 19th induction banquet and ceremony has been pushed back to May of 2021 due to the coronavirus.
It had been scheduled for Jan. 23, 2021 after originally slated for May 2, 2020.
“When we rescheduled for January, it was with the idea that we didn’t want to have to postpone it twice,” Hall of Fame president Neil Rudel said. “Unfortunately, that didn’t work out. We’re not sure 800-plus people will be gathering indoors in January or, if permitted, whether they’ll feel comfortable, and we didn’t want to delay into the fall.”
Rudel said the Hall’s board of directors made the decision Friday.
A final date in May will be selected in conjunction with the availability of guest speaker Doug Flutie and available dates at the Blair County Convention Center.
Set for induction are John Hayes (football), John Lingenfelter (auto racing), Eric Malone (watercraft sports), Eddie Miller (basketball), Tawney Nardozza Schmitt (swimming) and the 1970 Bishop Guilfoyle High School boys basketball team. Julie Roseborough will receive the Hall’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
“It’s obviously unfortunate,” Rudel said. “We feel badly for the honorees, but we also want people to feel safe and hopefully by May, that will be the case.”
