Luzerne County Sports Hall of Fame -- Member Meet & Greet with the Greater Wyoming Valley Chamber

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Luzerne County Sports Hall of Fame – Forty Fort, PA

Celebrating the region’s impressive history of high school, collegiate and professional sports.

The Luzerne County Sports Hall of Fame (LCSHOF) got its start when, in 1985, a panel of 6 individuals felt that there was a need to commemorate the rich sports history of our region. After honoring 719 local chapter inductees and 39 state HOF inductees, this organization is a leader among the 28 total chapters that comprise the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame. At present, their committee contains 14 volunteer members.

Through diversity, equity, and inclusion, and community service initiatives, the LCSHOF has a profound reach locally, in the 5 counties in which they serve, which include Luzerne, Wyoming, Bradford, Sullivan, and Northern Columbia, and across the state of Pennsylvania.

Their mission is to perpetuate the memory and accomplishments of athletes both female and male, who have brought lasting fame and recognition both locally and to the state of Pennsylvania. Also eligible for such distinction are those individuals who have brought similar recognition through their contribution to sports in managerial, promotional, and other influential capacities.

Supporting the Community

Additionally, the fiscal and physical impact that is made by the LCSHOF resonates across other non-profits such as the WV Challenger Baseball, Hazleton Integration Project, Juvenile Diabetes of NEPA, Special Olympics, Brave Athletics, Greater Wyoming Valley Area YMCA, Hospice of the Sacred Heart, and Toys for Tots.

The services that they provide are in the form of physical and financial support to eligible non-profits. They also provide a vital outreach of community-based sports recognition at the local, state, and national levels. By virtue of their museum/exhibit which is housed at the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport, they reinforce a commitment to sports history and the promotion of future athletic achievement. They also provide scholarships to over 25 school districts within their 5-county region. To date, they have provided over 10 thousand dollars to these deserving student-athletes.

“Most organizations like ours rely on grant money and donations from private individuals and organizations. What we accomplish on a large scale, in our commitment as community servant leaders, is to provide the means necessary to promote the smooth continuance of already existing programming,” says James T. Martin Jr. (Jim Martin) President of the Luzerne County Sports Hall of Fame. “This is done solely on the back of our annual banquet, and the yearly single contribution of Pioneer Aggregates.”

In the community, the Luzerne County Sports Hall of Fame is a member of the Greater Wyoming Valley Chamber of Commerce, the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Visit Luzerne County Tourism Agency, and Leadership Northeast, and has been featured by DiscoverNEPA.

Giving Back

Some of the bigger projects that the Luzerne County Sports Hall of Fame has accomplished include their work with Hospice of the Sacred Heart to collect communication devices during the pandemic and their collaboration with Leadership Northeast and one of their project groups to provide a safe and nurturing environment for the Wyoming Valley Challenger Baseball program in Wilkes-Barre by upgrading the field in Miners Mills known as the “Bog.”

“Our chapter created a campaign along with Hospice of the Sacred Heart to collect communication devices. They had a cooperative deal with a telecommunications carrier, to wipe out all previous data on the device so that it could be used for these purposes. We collected over 100 devices, along with those that we had purchased to meet this specific need. To purchase these items new or used would have cost more than 30 thousand dollars by estimate. Hospice of the Sacred Heart recognized our call to action and is truly thankful for our efforts,” says Jim Martin.

For their second community project, the Luzerne County Sports Hall of Fame staff, in conjunction with WV Challenger family, solicited the help of Mayor George C. Brown to upgrade the field in Miners Mills known as the “Bog”. This undertaking was to be completed after a ninety-thousand-dollar LSA (State Gaming) grant was written for and secured. This was completed by the LCSHOF and WV Challenger Baseball. Also, a five thousand dollar grant was provided by the AllOne Foundation, to purchase medical supplies and cooling stations for each dugout. Lastly, the Luzerne County Sports Hall of Fame purchased a brand-new sound system for the complex. The money secured for the project fell just short of one hundred thousand dollars. To date, through the influence provided by the LCSHOF, a new field sprinkler system and plumbing have been put into place.