Last Call For Tickets To Prestigious 79th Gold Key Dinner

SOUTHINGTON, CT — Tickets are still on sale through Oct. 8 for the 79th Gold Key Dinner, a yearly extravaganza honoring great Connecticut athletes, coaches and sports personalities. It has been organized by the Connecticut Sports Writers' Alliance (CSWA) since 1940.

The dinner, originally slated for April 2020 but postponed several times due to the coronavirus pandemic, will now take place Sunday, Oct. 17 at the Aqua Turf Club in Southington.

Gold Key recipients 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, who 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 18 Class LL and 16 State Open championships;
• Angela Tammaro, who amassed 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 (2019); Scott Testori, Daniel Hand High School soccer (2020-21)
• Hank O'Donnell Female Athlete of the Year - Jonquel Jones, Connecticut Sun (2019); Maddie Epke, Guilford High School 3-sport standout (2020-21)
• Doc McInerney High School Coaches of the Year - Bobby Pattison, Newtown football (2019); Kitty Palmer, Guilford field hockey and Daniel Hand girls tennis (2019); Jon Carroll, Sacred Heart boys basketball (2020-21); Ken Pereiras, Seymour softball (2020-21)
• 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, retired Bunnell High School athletic director and 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

Tickets are $75, and may be reserved by contacting CSWA President Tim Jensen at tim.jensen@patch.com. All proceeds benefit the Bo Kolinsky Memorial Sports Journalism Scholarship.

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