- Honorees Include NBA Cares and Dr. Mark Keroack -
SPRINGFIELD, MASS. - The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and The Rotary Club of Springfield have announced the honorees for the Westfield Bank 2023 Basketball Hall of Fame Rotary Service Above Self Luncheon, which will take place Thursday, December 14, on Center Court of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame at noon.
Tickets to the event are available to purchase. Individual tickets ($90) and sponsorship opportunities for the luncheon are still available. For more information on sponsorships or to purchase tickets to the luncheon, contact Chelsea Johnson at 413-231-5521 or [email protected].
This year’s honorees are Dr. Mark Keroack, President and CEO of Baystate Health, and NBA Cares. In addition, Springfield Rotary announced this year’s Paul Harris Lifetime Achievement Award will be given to Paul Lambert, President and CEO of the Springfield Symphony Orchestraand long-serving Rotarian.
“Many notable individuals from the Western MA community and the sports world have been recognized at The BHOF Service Above Self luncheons throughout the years,” said Frank Colaccino, CEO, The Colvest Group, and Chairperson of the Basketball Hall of Fame/Rotary Service Above Self Award Luncheon Committee. “Our honorees have generously served our communities with heartfelt passion without expectation of personal recognition."
“The Rotary International Club of Springfield is looking forward to celebrating and honoring the community work of Dr. Mark Keroack & NBA Cares” said Marie Angelides, the President of the Springfield Club. “I’m especially gratified that Rotary’s own member Paul Lambert will be the Paul Harris Award recipient. Rotary believes that “We are Better Together” and the remarkable leadership of these honorees has made a significant impact to the Springfield community. Please join us in honoring them.“
Previous ‘Service Above Self’ Honorees
2022: The V Foundation, Judy Matt, Jack Toner
2021: Hall of Famer Tamika Catchings, The Dennis Group
2019: Hall of Famer Bob & Chris Hurley, Western MA Jimmy Fund Golf Committee
2018: Hall of Famer John Calipari, Jeb Balise
2017: Jack & Colette Dill, Hall of Famer Nancy Lieberman
2016: Hall of Famer Spencer Haywood, Susan J. Kaplan
2015: Mike Glenn, Henry Thomas
2014: Bob Delaney, Bob Perry, York Mayo
2013: Vinny Del Negro, Paul & Diana Doherty
2012: Hall of Famer Jim Calhoun, The D’Amour Family
2011: Hall of Famer Rebecca Lobo, Charles Ryan
2010: Hall of Famer Bob Lanier, Dan Roulier (Inaugural Year)
About Rotary International
The Rotary International Club of Springfield is a service club that provides grants and volunteers to Springfield charities and service programs. International service projects include the Polio Plus programto eradicate polio and clean water in Cambodia. The club has partnered recently with Community Garden, Friends of the Homeless, and Dress for Success on local service projects. The club is looking for opportunities to partner with local businesses on volunteer projects. We welcome corporate as well as individual memberships. Luncheon meetings are held twice a month on Thursdays at The Student Prince Restaurant. Go to springfieldmarotary.org for more information.
About the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame
Located in Springfield, Massachusetts, the city where basketball was born, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame is an independent non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to promoting, preserving, and celebrating the game of basketball at every level—men and women, amateur and professional players, coaches, and contributors—both domestically and internationally. The Hall of Fame museum is home to more than 475 inductees and over 40,000 square feet of basketball history. Nearly 200,000 people visit the Hall of Fame museum each year to learn about the game, experience the interactive exhibits, and test their skills on the Jerry Colangelo "Court of Dreams." Best known for its annual marquee Enshrinement Ceremony honoring the game’s elite, the Hall of Fame also operates over 70 high school and collegiate competitions annually throughout the country and abroad. For more information on the Basketball Hall of Fame organization, its museum, and events, visit hoophall.com and follow @hoophall.
About Westfield Bank
Founded in 1853, Westfield Bank is a federally chartered thrift that is insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). The Bank has more than two dozen full-service offices in Agawam, Chicopee, East Longmeadow, Feeding Hills, Holyoke, Ludlow, South Hadley, Southwick, Springfield, Ware, Westfield, and West Springfield, Massachusetts; and Enfield, Granby, and West Hartford, Connecticut.