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By JOHN ENRIETTO Eagle Sports Editor

June 20, 2007 Last Updated: June 20, 2007 02:25 PM High School

Hometown Heroes expands with golf outing, banquet

The Butler Football Hometown Heroes program is expanding.

Entering its fourth year, the program, designed to honor positive contributors to the tradition of Butler football, has added a golf outing and banquet to its festivities.

Previously, the Hometown Heroes program consisted of a dinner in the vo-tech conference room and on-field recognition before an early-season Butler home football game.

"We felt like we should be doing more,"said Joni Vogel, a former Butler Football Boosters co-president and Hometown Heroes committee member with husband Kevin. "We were invited to the first Kiski Sports Hall of Fame dinner and saw how they did things."

Former Kiski Area football coach Dick Dilts, a Butler Football Hometown Hero honoree in 2005, is Vogel's uncle.

"They brought back an entire team one year, a bunch of guys getting together for a weekend,"said Kevin Vogel. "We like that concept."

The 2007 Hometown Heroes honorees — Mark Farabee, Jack Lehew, Tim Nunes, Bill Tack, Jim Kamerer, Jim Love, Gary Milanovich and a representative of the late Bo Voelker, all longtime members of Art Bernardi's coaching staff at Butler — will be served refreshments in the vo-tech conference room before the Golden Tornado's Aug. 31 game against Kiski Area at Bernardi Stadium. They will be presented on the field before the game as well.

A Hometown Heroes four-person scramble golf fundraiser will take place at 9 a.m. Sept. 1 at Lake Arthur Country Club. That will be followed by a dinner at 6:30 p.m. at St. Michael Hall in Butler.

Each 2007 honoree and former honorees will receive a commemorative Hometown Heroes hat as well.

"We appreciate everything these people have done for Butler football and the youth of our community," committee member Ralph McElhaney said. "This is a way to show that appreciation."

McElhaney was an assistant football coach at Butler for 25 years. He and former Tornado head coach Garry Cathell came up with the original Hometown Heroes idea.

"There is a rich football tradition here and we saw it as a way to bring some of these people back, recognize and reward their efforts, and give our youths a chance to see them and meet them,"McElhaney said.

"When I met Bill Saul through this program a couple of years back, he had tears in his eyes. He loved this. That's what this is all about."

Butler Football Hometown Heroes need not have been Hall of Fame-caliber players — or even players at all. Eligibility requirements are that the individual be at least 50 years old, have contributed to Butler football, have positive experiences after Butler football and be in good standing with the community, having displayed and be known for good character.

Future nominees for Hometown Hero recognition are being accepted through contacting the Vogels at 724-282-2543 or Butler Eagle sports editor John Enrietto at 724-282-8010.

Bernardi — himself a Hometown Hero in 2005 — compiled a record of 179-64-7 as Butler's head coach from 1961-85. He had only one losing season, led four teams to the WPIALchampionship game and won a co-championship in 1977.

Tack, Love and Kamerer all played and coached for Bernardi. All eight of the 2007 honorees were longtime teachers in the Butler School District.

"They were all good teachers and were around the kids all the time,"Bernardi said. "Voelker, Kamerer, Nunes, Tack and Farabee were all physical education teachers, all in different buildings.

"They had a chance to see kids, and when they'd come across some athletic talent, they'd invite them to come out for football. That was a tremendous advantage we had.

"I'm thrilled these guys are being honored. They did a great job with a lot of kids over the years. They were this program,"Bernardi added.

Entry fee for the golf outing is $55 and covers 18 holes of golf, cart, hot dog and drink. Prize money will be based on number of entries. Deadline to register for the golf outing is Aug. 17.

Proceeds from the golf outing will benefit the Hometown Heroes program. Contact the Vogels to register.

The dinner costs $10 per person.

"This program gets better each year,"McElhaney said. "Joni and Kevin got the ball rolling on it. You can come up with an idea that sounds good, but you need the right people to make it happen."