Dan McCaffery
For The Journal
For the second year in a row there will be no Sarnia-Lambton Sports Hall of Fame enshrinement dinner in 2021.
Hall of Fame President Pete Coenjarts said recently the event, planned for this fall, has been cancelled due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
Last year was the first time since the hall's inception 40 years ago that there was not an enshrinement banquet.
Coenjarts said no individuals or teams will be inducted this year, but the hall will accept nominations throughout the remainder of the year for the class of 2022.
Coenjarts said the province might not permit large indoor gatherings by the fall. And if it does, some people might be hesitant to attend such a function. On top of that, planning and spending for the dinner would have to begin this month, with the printing of programs, renting of a facility and creation of plaques. Should the banquet be cancelled after preparations got under way, the hall, a volunteer organization, would stand to lose a considerable amount of money.
He added the board of directors has decided against simply naming inductees and mailing them plaques because it wants to maintain the tradition of welcoming teams and athletes with a celebratory banquet. The event usually draws a crowd of 300 to 400 people.