Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame induction dinner slated for Wednesday, Oct. 30

The Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame will induct its 13-member Class of 2013 on Wednesday, Oct. 30, at the annual awards dinner at the Hyatt Regency Buffalo. The cash bar reception begins at 5 p.m. with a silent auction of sports memorabilia. Dinner will be served at 7 p.m., followed by the induction ceremony. Proceeds from the dinner and the auction benefit the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame Amateur Sports Development Fund.

Tickets for the annual dinner are available through the order form at the Hall of Fame website (www.gbshof.com), and are $85 per ticket, or $750 for a table of 10. The order form also provides opportunity for patron advertising in the event program. Sponsorship of this event is also available by contacting Tom Koller at [email protected] or 716-878-6514.

"We are so excited to induct the Class of 2013," said Therese Forton-Barnes, president of the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame. "We hope to have another sold-out crowd at the Hyatt as we honor an Olympic gold medalist, a Stanley Cup champion, a Super Bowl champion, and legends from Western New York."

This year's class joins a rich heritage of native Western New Yorkers, or those who starred in and around the Queen City during their playing days, who are enshrined in the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame.

This year's class includes:

•A pioneer for female athletes, and the ECC Kats first true female superstar, Pam Amabile.

•A two-time New York State Coach of the Year, he is the legendary football coach from Albion High School, Dick Diminuco.

•One of the most influential people in the long history of Buffalo State athletics, Fred Hartrick.

•A legendary Western New York bowler whose success at the lanes spans five decades,Art Jeziorski.

•A native Western New Yorker who played more than 17 seasons in the NHL and won a Stanley Cup with the Anaheim Ducks, Todd Marchant.

•A Buffalo native who played six seasons in the NFL and won a Super Bowl with the New York Giants, Phil McConkey.

•A writer who has covered just about every sporting event in Western New York in his 46 years with the Buffalo News, Milt Northrop.

•A Fredonia native who has won gold and silver medals in the Olympic games for pole vaulting, Jennifer Suhr.

The Pride of WNY inducted posthumously this year:

•An iconic sports figure and community leader in Western New York, General Bass.

•A three-time world heavyweight wrestling champion, Ed Don George.

•Once dubbed as the "nerve center of amateur sports in WNY," a visionary for youth sports and a leading basketball administrator, Herbert Mols.

•One of the nation's greatest handball players ever, Walter Plekan.

•An outstanding defensive catcher who once set a Major League Baseball record for handling 581 consecutive chances without an error, Frank Pytlak.

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