Prestigious Gold Key Dinner Rescheduled For Fall

PLANTSVILLE, CT — Continued concerns over the new coronavirus pandemic have prompted officials of the Connecticut Sports Writers' Alliance (CSWA) to again reschedule the date of the 79th Gold Key Dinner. The event is now slated for Sunday, Oct. 18 at the Aqua Turf Club in the Plantsville section of Southington.

The dinner had originally been scheduled for April 26, then had been shifted to June 14 upon an executive order by Gov. Ned Lamont banning large crowds through May 20. With the likelihood that deadline will be extended, CSWA officers solicited input from the 19 honorees plus board members, ultimately deciding to postpone the event until fall.

"We have no intention of putting anyone at risk, and asked each of our honorees and board members their thoughts before deciding to shift the date again," CSWA president Tim Jensen of Patch Media Corp. said. "We hope that moving this prestigious gathering six months from now will enable more people to attend and celebrate the accomplishments of our outstanding honorees."

First celebrated in 1940, the Gold Key Dinner honors Connecticut sportspersons of the past and present. The Gold Key itself, one of the most prestigious athletic awards in the state, is presented to athletes, coaches and administrators who have made longstanding, significant contributions to Connecticut's rich athletic heritage.

Gold Key recipients for 2020 are:

• Cookie Bromage, field hockey coach at Enfield High School for 52 years and winner of five state championships;
• Joe Grippo, longtime girls volleyball and girls basketball coach at The Morgan School with 14 state championships;
• Lou Milardo, compiled 552 career victories and four state titles in 31 years as softball coach at Hale-Ray High School;
• Ricky Shook, Danbury High School wrestling coach since 1999 with 17 Class LL and 15 State Open championships;
• Angela Tammaro, compiled 1,637 career wins as field hockey, lacrosse and basketball coach at Greenwich Academy.

A number of other awards will be presented during the event, including:

• President's Award - Claire Smith, Baseball Hall of Fame journalist
• Bill Lee Male Athlete of the Year - Alfonso Vazquez Villar, Windham High School soccer
• Hank O'Donnell Female Athlete of the Year - Jonquel Jones, Connecticut Sun
• Doc McInerney High School Coaches of the Year - Bobby Pattison, Newtown football; Kitty Palmer, Guilford field hockey and Daniel Hand girls tennis
• Bo Kolinsky Special Recognition - Elizabeth Fry, Westport world record swimmer
• Bob Casey Courage Award - Caden Gesualdi, Ellington High School ice hockey
• Hal Levy High School Achievement Award - Dave Johnson, South West Conference commissioner
• John Wentworth Good Sport Awards - Ben Aleks, Somers; Paul Duddy, Mystic; Steve Krevisky, Middletown; Bill O'Brien, Stratford; Bill Santillo, New Haven
• Bo Kolinsky Memorial Sports Journalism Scholarship - Johanna Wolkoff, Farmington High School

The Gold Key Dinner begins at 2 p.m. Tickets are $75, and may be reserved by contacting CSWA president Tim Jensen at 860-394-5091 or at tim.jensen@patch.com.

(CSWA)