Enshrinement credentials

Published 9:00 am Saturday, July 23, 2016

THOMASVILLE — Around this time of year, fall sports bring new memories and new people to participate in them, all while calling back memories of individuals in the past that made an impact in athletics and in their community.

Through Aug. 5, the Thomasville-Thomas County Hall of Fame is seeking to honor those in history who fit that bill, as they are accepting nominations from the community for its upcoming vote to induct new members.

“We’re really trying to encourage the community to think of people that would be fitting for induction that meet the criteria,” Thomasville YMCA CEO Tom Everett said. “We take it upon ourselves to try to think of people but it’s not just limited to what the board comes up with. We really rely on the community to give us that feedback as well.”

Candidates for nomination must be at least 40 years of age and can be nominated through a form that the YMCA provides. Six people will inducted this year, although nominees that don’t make it in this year can stay on the ballot for future years. Voting will take place in the middle of August. A list of current inductees can be found at the Thomasville YMCA website.

The hall of fame has been in place since 1994. Plaques of those already enshrined are currently being displayed at the YMCA, which offered the space in their community room to be used for them.

“The Y has played a complimentary role in the hall of fame over the years,” Everett said. “So many of the inductees that get honored in the hall of fame have grown up through The Y. It was kind of a natural connection.”

Currently, the hall of fame is home to many different names, including state and national champions, as well as players with Super Bowl rings. However, athletes are not the only people that are honored. Longtime SEC official Jimmy Harper is recognized there, along with the late Sarah Annie Floyd, a longtime supporter of Thomasville High School athletics.

“She was probably the number one fan of them for 60 years,” Everett said. “The coaches and players knew it. They heard her in the stands. She was legendary in terms of the support she gave that school over the years.”

While the hall is full of standout athletic performers, that isn’t the only factor when deciding on nominees. The other component to the hall of fame has to do with an individual’s involvement in the community.

“There’s a couple of board members over the years that I’ve heard say, ‘What you did on the field or court gets you nominated, but it’s what you did off it that gets you inducted,’” Everett said. “What kind of role model was that individual to kids? Did they give back to their community? Did they volunteer as a coach? From a citizen’s standpoint, it’s important to see how they lived their life after sports.”