Gloucester Township Man To Receive Inaugural Bob Kenney Award

Gloucester Township, NJ -- A Gloucester Township man will be the first recipient of the Bob Kenney Award, presented by Camden County in honor of the former Hall of Fame Executive Board member and local sports institution who died last year, county officials said on Thursday.

Charles G. “Chuck” Palumbo, Jr. of Gloucester Township will receive the inaugural award during the 11th annual Camden County Sports Hall of Fame Dinner and induction ceremony on Oct. 27, 5 p.m., at The Crowne Plaza, 2349 West Marlton Pike in Cherry Hill.

“Many of us in South Jersey depended on Bob’s local high school sports coverage as the quintessential mark of our mornings, even more so than our first cup of coffee,” Camden County Freeholder Louis Cappelli, Jr. said. “For families, parents and readers he redefined the local sports page, so we could follow our sons and daughters progress whether it was in football or field hockey, with his coverage becoming an extra member of thousands of households on a daily basis.”

Kenney covered seven Olympics Games starting in Montreal in 1976 and was a voting member of the baseball hall of fame for 40 years. His influence and professionalism was, and will continue to be, the bedrock of the Camden County Hall of Fame due to his creation of a guiding charter that all of the members adhere by.
Kenney died in September of 2015.

The Bob Kenney Award was created to recognizes an individual their disguised service and dedicator to youth or scholastic sports in Camden County.

Palumbo has volunteered with a range of youth sports in the community for many years. He has served on the Gloucester Township Youth Recognition Committee, the Gloucester Township Recreation Committee and the Gloucester Township Economic Development Advisory Committee.

He’s been the president of the Gloucester Township Girls Athletic Association since 1979. During his tenure, he helped develop teams for girls in softball, basketball, volleyball and cheerleading.

He was also the president of the South Jersey Girls Softball Association from 1988 to 1998.
Palumbo is the local Chapter Director and Certified Clinician for the National Youth Sports Coaches’ Association and the National Association of Youth Sports.

He has had memberships in the National Women’s Sports Foundation and other various other state and national coaches and officials’ associations since 1993.

Palumbo also served as State Deputy A.S.A. Commissioner from 1986-1989.

This year’s Hall of Fame class includes Highland Regional High School alum Toni (Byard) Jenkins, who played varsity field hockey, basketball, and softball. She graduated in 1989.

Her mother, Gloria Byard, was the first African American field hockey player for Glassboro State College, where she played from 1972 to 1976. She coached Highland during her daughter’s junior and senior years.

Toni played center midfield and was called in as a striker on corners. Her scholastic field hockey accolades include being named to the Penn Monto High School All American Team and the All-State Field Hockey Team. She was also a Junior Olympian, First Team All-South Jersey, First Team Group III, First Team All-Conference, the MVP at the Garden State Games, and an Alternate for the USA Field Hockey Team.

In her senior year at Highland, she made First Team All-Conference and First Team All-South Jersey for softball, while leading her to team to the South Jersey Group III finals. Toni was a dominating center fielder and also set records for stolen bases.

She concluded her time at Highland as the recipient of Highland’s Female Athletic Achievement Award. She was also named to the Highland High School Hall of Fame in 2015.

She played field hockey and softball at Temple University. She was the Atlantic 10 Conference Rookie of the Year in field hockey. The field hockey team made the NCAA tournament three times while she was there.
Toni, who now lives in Gloucester Township with her husband and their three children, is a member of the Temple University Hall of Fame for both field hockey and softball.

This year’s class also includes: Anthony Black, Bill Culbertson, Danielle Dayton, Michael Elder, Glenn Foley, Michael Glavin, Al Harris, Timothy Lenahan (deceased), Margie Mannion and Michelle Schlichtig-Hastings.

Tickets are $50. To purchase tickets or to place an ad, call 856-401-2451 or email halloffame@camdencounty.com.