Agganis Foundation announces scholarship winners, Hall of Fame inductees

LYNN – Breaking with recent tradition, the Harry Agganis Foundation elected this year to announce scholarship winners and Hall of Fame inductees during halftime of Thursday’s football game.The 52nd edition of the Agganis All-Star Football Classic was played on the 58th anniversary of the death of the man voted, at the end of the previous century, as the Lynn area’s premier athlete.Five Hall of Famers and 17 scholarship winners were introduced.With this year’s class, the Foundation has awarded $1.56 million in scholarships to 877 student-athletes since its inception in 1955. The recipients are headed to colleges such as Boston University, Georgetown, Harvard, Holy Cross, Lehigh and Tufts.The five Hall of Famers, with each award named for a person central in perpetuating either the Agganis Classics or youth sports themselves, are: Robert “Moona” Mullins, Paul F. Cavanagh Community Award; Matt Jenkins, David C. Weidner Media Award; Jamie Marsh, Harold O. Zimman Foundation Award; Bill Galatis, Atty. Charles DeMakis Heritage Award; and Pat Yanchus, Dr. Elmo Benedetto Athletics Award.”This is an honor for me, as a person of Greek heritage,” Galatis said of his award. “I was only two years old when Harry Agganis died, but my father told me all about him, and by the time I was a teenager, he was my idol.”Harry was a source of great pride to Greeks, not just around here, but throughout the nation.”Marsh’s award is named for Zimman, who was central in getting the foundation established – along with The Item and the Boston Red Sox – and spent many years as its chairman.”I think,” said Marsh, “that Harold Zimman would be very proud of what this foundation has become.”Marsh, as director of community development in Lynn, was in charge of making City Hall available for both a student showing and a fund-raising showing of the recently-released film on Agganis’ life.”It was a collective effort,” said Marsh, “but it was well worth it.”Mullins, a longtime football coach and basketball referee, has a long connection with the Cavanagh family and knew of Paul Cavanagh’s commitment to public service.”When I was helping out at English, Paul was the main booster,” Mullins said. “I knew him well, and because of that, this is a great honor for me. It’s one of the real honors in my life.”Jenkins, a sports reporter at the Salem News specializing in football, basketball and lacrosse, did not remember Weidner, who died at age 24 while working for The Item. But he knows of him.”I know that he was a really promising writer, and just for that I am honored to be mentioned in the same breath as him,” said Jenkins, who has been a fulltime staffer at the News since 2002. “We don’t do this for the accolades, but it’s nice to get a ‘thank you’ now and then, and this is a special one for me.”Yanchus led St. John’s Prep to a 22-2 record this season and steered the Eagles to the Division 1 North final – his last ever as Eagles baseball coach.”I know Elmo was a classy guy, and to get this award in his honor is special,” Yanchus said. “I’ve coached in the baseball game a couple of times, and now to be receiving this ? it’s a fitting conclusion to my career.”Scholarship winners receive $1,000 for each of the four years they are in college. There are four student-athletes chosen as Yawkey/Agganis scholarship winners, with the scholarships funded by a donation from the Yawkey Foundation. One recipient is awarded a scholarship funded by Michael J. Agganis, a nephew of Harry Agganis. Two recipients are awarded scholarships funded by Gregory J. Agganis, a grandnephew of Harry Agganis. One recipient is awarded the Patrick J McManus Scholarship in memory of a Lynn mayor who is the only person to receive an Agganis Scholarship, play in an Agganis All-Star Classic and serve on the Agganis Foundation Board of Trustees. One scholarship winner receives the Edward H. Cahill Scholarship in memory of a former (Lynn) Daily Item sports editor who played a significant role in the founding