Pennridge-Quakertown Sports Hall of Fame Community Awards

 1998

The Hubbert Family (Pennridge) – About 1920 Ed and Walt Hubbert arranged with A. G. Spalding Company to stitch the covers on American and National League baseballs in their home in Perkasie.  Through the years the family business grew until about 50 stitchers worked in the baseball factory and about 300 stitchers worked in their homes.  After 1950, a new softball was developed – the Dudley softball – and it became the most popular softball in the U.S.A.  The Hubbert’s were local sponsors of many town teams and generous with donations of balls to many Pennridge area groups.  Accepting the award for the Hubbert family will be Dave Hubbert.

Quakertown Blazers (Quakertown) – The Quakertown Blazers are in their 15th season in the Atlantic Collegiate Baseball League, an official NCAA sanctioned summer league.  They have brought the 1994 Olympic team and the Korean National team to play at Memorial Park Stadium.  They also conducted baseball clinics for local youngsters.  More than 70 Blazers have gone on to sign pro contracts and five have played in the majors.  The team has won 10 division championships and three league championships.  Accepting the award for the Blazers will be Steve Shelly.

1999

First Savings Bank of Perkasie (Pennridge) – First Savings has been supporting area sports programs for four decades.  It has backed Pennridge and Deep Run Little League teams, Pennridge, Quakertown and Palisades’ Booster Clubs, the Pennridge Greenjackets (youth football) and Pennridge Yellowjackets (youth soccer).  First Savings has been a co-sponsor of new scoreboards at the Perkasie Second Street Playground and the Willard H. Markey athletic complex in East Rockhill Township.  The seven branch banking institution has made available its meeting rooms and support services for many local organizations and donates time and money to many community groups.  Accepting on behalf of First Savings will be CEO John D. Hollenbach.

Wallace Willard Keller Legion Post 242 (Quakertown) – Quakertown Legion has been integrally involved in civic and charitable actions.  The Legion erected the refreshment stand and co-erected the lights at Memorial Park Stadium and fully maintains the facility.  It oversees the Fourth of July Community Day events, organizes frequent concerts at the park and sponsors Quakertown American Legion baseball, a Little League team, the Quakertown Swim team and the Youth Basketball program.  Post 242 also donates to the Leukemia Society, Quakertown High School band, Palisades High School band, different booster clubs, etc.  In 1998, the Legion received the National Children and Youth Award for the state of Pennsylvania.  Accepting the award will be George Banas.

2000

Hartzell-Crouthamel Post 280 American Legion (Pennridge) – Perkasie Legion has long been involved in supporting various programs for the youth of the community.  It started to sponsor the American Legion Junior Baseball Team in 1933.  They started the Perkasie Halloween Parade back before WW II.  For more than sixty years, the Legion has awarded the School Award to the Outstanding Girl and Boy in each eighth grade class.  Other activities the Legion supports include Boy’s State at Indiantown Gap, Scotland (PA), Orphans School, Poppy Sales, Memorial Day activities and cemetery flags.  Accepting the award will be Roy Kopp.

The Quakertown National Bank (Quakertown) – QNB has been supporting area sports programs for over 120 years.  It has sponsored both the Quakertown and Pennridge areas’ High School Football and Basketball Booster Clubs, Little Leagues, Soccer and Swim Teams and Youth Football Leagues.  The Pennridge Youth Wrestling program and Quakertown’s Ice Hockey, Field Hockey and Connie Mack Baseball programs have also received donations and sponsorships from QNB.  A number of QNB employees serve as coaches and on committees for various High School and Youth sports teams, as well as the Upper Bucks YMCA.  The six-branch community bank has made its meeting rooms and buildings available to local community groups and donates time and money to many other charitable organizations.  Accepting the award on behalf of the The Quakertown National Bank will be President/CEO Thomas J. Bisko.

2001

The Steeley Family (Pennridge) – In 1946, the Sell-Perk Fleet-Wing baseball team was started by William (Bill) E. Steeley, who owned a gas station at the corner of Park Avenue and Main Street in Sellersville.  The shirts had the name of the gas company, Fleet-Wing, and a pair of red wings on the front.  When the sponsor dropped their support of the team, Bill Steeley took the words Fleet-Wing off the shirts and left the red wings, which led to the new name of the team – Sell-Perk Redbirds.  From then until 1959 Bill Steeley provided the full backing for anyone in the area who wanted to play baseball for the Redbirds.  Playing in the Perkiomen Valley Twilight League and later in the Bucks County Amateur League, these “Boys of Summer” could practice their love of a game that turns grown men in to little boys.  Decade have thinned some hairlines and expanded some waistlines, but thanks to Bill Steeley and his son the Steeley family memories are still good form many former Sell-Perk Redbirds.

Quakertown Borough Council (Quakertown) – The Borough of Quakertown takes tremendous pride in the park and recreational facilities that they provide for Quakertown area residents of all ages.  They own and maintain three parks and other open space which comprise over 150 acres in the Borough, which means that the Borough owns almost 10% of the land in the Borough.  The Borough’s parks are home to most of the youth sports organizations in the area, including the Soccer Club, Midget Football Association, Connie Mack Baseball Organization, Girl’s Summer Softball Program, St. Isadore’s Softball Team, Quakertown Dolphins Swim Team, Quakertown Blazers and the American Legion Baseball Teams.  All together, there are over 3,000 children who play youth sports in these organizations!  Additionally, the Borough provides a summer recreation program and street hockey program that serves over 300 children.  The Borough owns and maintains a public swimming pool, 8 tennis courts, five basketball courts, a sand volleyball court, a shallow pond that serves as a parking lot in the summer and a skating pond in the winter, a 10,000 square foot wooden playground facility, other playground equipment for children, an exercise/fitness facility, a one mile stone jogging path and a 1.6 mile paved walking/biking path.  The wooden playground was designed by renowned architect Robert Leathers of Ithaca, New York and is the real crown jewel of Memorial Park.  Accepting on behalf of Quakertown Borough is Borough Manager Dave Woglom.

2010

Pennridge – The Perk
The Perk has supported local community teams and Pennridge High School athletics for 35 years.  A visit to The Perk will afford an opportunity to see a proud display of photographs that embrace much of the history of the town and school’s sports history.  Teams and individuals in the photographs cover a time period from 1900-1957.  This provides a look at memories present and future generations can enjoy.  The Perk is proud to have the opportunity to preserve a piece of the history of Perkasie. 
The actual South Perkasie Hotel was built in the 1850’s.  It provided a stopping place for travelers between the Lehigh Valley and Philadelphia.  It served as a well known cattle mart for many years.  It stakes is claim as the birthplace of the “combination sale”, today’s flea market.
The Perk has been owned and operated by the Nacarella family since 1975.  It is a landmark in the Perkasie community and a local eatery that feels like home.

Quakertown – Richland Area Softball Association (RASA)
RASA is entering its seventh year of existence.  In this short time the organization has grown and become known as the softball magnet in Southeastern Pennsylvania.  This year the organization will start its third season on the state of the art softball complex (Veterans Park) on Pumping Station Road.  The complex includes 6 softball fields,  four of them are lighted.  Mainly due to the efforts of RASA President Paul Hetrick, the organization has grown from one that had very few girls and used only the school districts fields to an organization with 24 teams and over 300 girls participating locally.  RASA also provides an opportunity for adult women to participate in a ten team softball league.

Saturdays and Sundays are big days at Veterans Park with tournaments involving teams from throughout the Mid-Atlantic States.  The July 4th tournament includes teams from as far away as Canada and California.  This is a showcase tournament where over 100 college coaches can come to see outstandingly talented players. 

2011

Pennridge – Deep Run Valley Sports Association
The Deep Run Valley Sports Association was incorporated in 1969.  The association provides the Pennridge School District and surrounding community’s children with Soccer, Basketball, Baseball, Softball and Lacrosse programs.  The organization relies on parent volunteers on its 25 acre site in Hilltown Township.  The association’s purpose is to provide an instructional atmosphere, to develop the skills and knowledge necessary to these sports programs at an intramural and travel level.  Today, there are over 1,100 families involved in the programs provided by Deep Run.   Current involvement includes the following number of players involved:  Baseball – 600, Softball - 400, Lacrosse – 130, Basketball – 400, Soccer – 1,200.  The Club has a steadfast tradition in providing a positive atmosphere for players and families in all of their sports.  The Deep Run complex is always well prepared for athletes and visitors.  Many former athletes have gone on to star for the Pennridge Rams in a variety of sports.  High school athletes in the Pennridge area point to Deep Run Valley Sports Association as giving them the opportunity to prepare for their future endeavors. 

Quakertown – Quakertown Youth Baseball Association

The Quakertown Youth Baseball Association serves the need of boys’ baseball in the Quakertown area.  Good citizenship, fair play and teaching skills have been the hallmark of the organization since it began as Quakertown Little League back in 1958.  Today, the organization has over 600 players and encompasses five different divisions of play: tee ball, colts (machine pitch), pony, minors and majors.  The current program fields 52 teams.   In addition to local division play, the organization fields tournament teams at the under 9 through under 12 levels. The 12 year old tournament team participates in a program that allows them to travel to Cooperstown, NY each year for high level competition.   The organization is an all volunteer organization from the officers to coaches, umpires, and refreshment stand.  Free clinics are held for the umpires along with clinics for players at various positions, especially pitchers and catchers.   The organization has its own complex consisting of pony, minors and majors fields.  Games are also played at the Milford Township fields.  Recent improvements to the complex a change in the fence of the major league field to make center field deeper that the foul lines and two brand new LED scoreboards.  The long proud tradition of solid baseball in the Quakertown area begins with most boys playing in the Quakertown Youth Baseball Association.