Scholarship established in name of former Item sports editor

LYNN – The legacy of Harry Agganis doesn’t end with the athlete himself. We’re well into the second generation of families or business enterprises that have worked diligently to keep the Agganis legacy – and the foundation that bears his name – alive.When Agganis died on June 27, 1955 at the age of 26, of a pulmonary embolism, his death sent the city of Lynn into mourning the likes of which had not been seen before, or since.Agganis, after all, was “The Golden Greek.” He was the kid from Waterhill Street and Lynn Classical who earned the school a mythical national football championship; who lifted Boston University to heights unseen before or after; and who was blossoming into a star in his “other” sport, baseball, with the Boston Red Sox.Upon the death of Agganis, Lynn attorney Charles Demakis spearheaded a drive that led Item Publisher Peter Gamage, Boston Red Sox owner Thomas A. Yawkey and Agganis coach/mentor Harold O. Zimman to establish the Agganis Foundation – which has awarded $1,436,525 in scholarships to 845 student-athletes since 1955.There is a strong family connection to the foundation. Gamage’s son, Peter H. Gamage, the current publisher of The Item, is on the foundation’s board of trustees. Demakis’ son, Attorney Thomas C. Demakis, is the chairman; and his nephew, Thomas L. Demakes, the president of Old Neighborhood Foods, is also on the board and is the foundation’s principal individual benefactor.In addition, Agganis’ nephew, Michael, funds two of the 16 Agganis scholarships given each year, and his son, Greg, is a trustee. And the Yawkey Foundation has been the largest annual corporate contributor to the foundation since 1999.This year, another second-generation benefactor has joined the cause. The son of Edward H. Cahill, who was The Item’s sports editor for a quarter of a century, has endowed a permanent scholarship in the name of his father, and tonight’s Agganis Football Classic at Manning Field – the 50th edition of the game – will be played in his memory.Cahill was sports editor at The Item when Agganis died, and was instrumental in helping establish the foundation and promoting the inaugural Agganis Football Classic.”This October would have been my father’s 100th birthday,” said the son, Ed Cahill. “And my sisters, my wife, and I couldn’t think of a better way to perpetuate his memory than to contribute to the Agganis Foundation.”Just recently, we found some old records of when my father was doing broadcasts on the old WLYN (Cahill was also the sports director there), and we heard him break the news about Harry Agganis’ death,” Cahill said. “And you could hear? he was choking up on the air. He was so moved. He knew Harry well, and (his death) really affected him.”Agganis Foundation President Ted Grant – whose friendship with the younger Cahill dates back to their Lynn Shore Little League days – said that Cahill’s involvement is, “another example of the self-perpetuating aspect of the foundation.”It continues to be a seamless transition from one generation to the next,” Grant said. “The foundation is fortunate to have such generational involvement; it demonstrates how much these families have valued the Agganis ideals of academic and athletic achievement.”Tonight’s game wraps up a week’s worth of athletic events played in memory of Agganis, with all of the proceeds going toward funding future scholarships. More than 5,000 student-athletes have participated in the games or have received scholarships.