Inaugural Bob Kenney Award Part Of 11th Annual Camden County Hall Of Fame Reception

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 class includes: Anthony Black, Bill Culbertson, Toni (Byard) Jenkins, 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.