RIDING THE PINE: Hall of Fame a must for CCHS fundraising, athletics

A hall of fame.

It is a must for Churchill County High School.

Showcasing those who dedicated themselves to the school and achieved greatness would enhance the legacy of fantastic athletes, coaches, dominant teams and many others.

The idea is simple and must be joined with a banquet to honor those who succeeded on the field, courts, tracks and pool. A grand gala to induct the newest members can be the CCHS athletic department’s newest, and perhaps, grandest fundraiser of them all.

The Green and White Gala. Pencil in March 17, or the Saturday closest to that date, to put the Greenwave’s finest on display on the greenest day of the greenest month for the greenest school.

Selections can be left to a committee made of school administrators and members of the community. Nominations can be submitted by anyone for any person they feel deserves the honor of being enshrined.

Players, coaches, teams, administrators or individuals who donate time and money are just a few who should fill the walls of the Elmo Dericco Gym. Honor them with a slideshow, commemorative plaque, oral history of their accomplishments and what life has brought since.

The first class, that’s easy or debatable, your preference could feature Jack Beach, Ed Arciniega, Wint King and the aforementioned Dericco, and boom, the first annual class.

These four — all of whom are Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association Hall of Famers — are a perfect representation of what the CCSH HOF is about.

Naturally, the event will improve each year, but the less drama involved with selecting the inaugural class provides organizers more time to comb through the details of planning the gala and perfecting the annual event.

Of course, each class will vary in size, and for those who have passed, family can represent them in their honor.

The vocational and art programs — or any other student or programs — can assist in the process as well, constructing and delivering artwork to support the hall. Senior class project anyone? Now, that’s a legacy.

But the big event is where the green (former CCHS greats) meets the green (dollars).

The Green and White Gala (green tie and dress preferred, but not mandatory) event can be held at The Gym at Venturacci Park or the Fallon Convention Center. It gives people an opportunity to dress to the nines, have some fun and raise funds for their beloved alma mater.

Tickets could run from $20-$30 with dinner included plus drinks, dancing and an auction. Deliver a great atmosphere and people will come.

Follow the road map laid out by Chelle Dalager, and numerous others, when they spearheaded a $30,000 campaign to purchase new weight room equipment last summer.

Sports memorabilia could be secured from former Greenwave stars Josh Mauga, Harvey Dahl, Aarik Wilson and Scott Smith, to name a few; although cheerfully throwing them under the bus may not help.

The biggest roadblock, however, is getting the project off the ground. A smart, energetic and dependable team is a must. The group does not have to be large to start, just enough to put the wheels in motion and they can pick up bodies as things progress.

In addition, this group could even become the all-encompassing booster club for CCHS athletics and the gala would be the showcase event.

This is just the tip of a possibly massive iceberg and if executed properly, this would be the biggest event in town and the greenest in every sense.

Steve Puterski is the sports editor for the Lahontan Valley News and can be contacted at sputerski@lahontanvalleynews.com.