NEWARK, NJ — Write on Sports held its 12th anniversary gala on Sept. 28 at The Avenue A Club, a Newark firehouse from the 1880s restored to its former beautify. The room was filled with excitement and a sense of celebration among the nearly 200 guests. Four honorees were named 2017 Literacy Champions for their work in education, sports and journalism.
Peter King, Monday Morning Quarterback founder and a WoS trustee, kicked off the program as master of ceremonies with a special challenge to the students: “Your aspirations are real, your aspirations can work. You can reach your dreams. Look at Steve Politi and look at Matthew Stanmyre who have done some incredible work journalistically. This is what you should aspire to, to be like these professional journalists who did such a wonderful job exposing the scandal at Paterson’s Eastside High School and it’s what I would call the basic tenet of journalism: They saw something wrong, they exposed it and helped make it right.”
Surrounded by seven WoS alumni, WoS founder and Executive Director Byron Yake remarked on the accomplishments of former WoS students of the program who are entering the working world and college life.
“Twelve years ago we had this idea and from the idea, we turned it into 10 camps this year in four states,” Yake said. “It is because of you who support us that this is possible.”
Nine students who completed the program this past calendar year were also in the audience and three of them introduced the 2017 Literacy Champions: Rev. Ed Leahy, headmaster of St. Benedict’s Prep; Matthew Stanmyre and Steve Politi, reporters at Advance Media; and Hugh Weber, president of the New Jersey Devils and Prudential Center.
Photos Courtesy of Write on Sports
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