The annual John Hunter Memorial Camp Fund Committee welcomed their 42nd class of community achievers and Hall of Famers, as well as their Lifetime Achievement honorees, at the beautiful Our Children’s Foundation, the educational, community-based program that sits proudly under the leadership of Sam Brown, the former collegiate and Rucker Pros hoops star.
It was there, on West 125th Street, that Brown joined the John Hunter Memorial Committee in welcoming Harthorne Wingo and Tom Hoover into the John Hunter Memorial Camp Fund’s Bob Douglas Hall of Fame.
In addition, the committee also honored their selected class of community achievers and Appreciation Award recipients, as well as the Native New Yorker honoree. Former Harlem Globetrotter Bobby Hunter was the master of ceremonies.
The Bob Douglas Hall of Fame, founded in Harlem by Eddie Younger and his sister Lorraine Younger, along with Benny Garrett, the former New York Renaissance hoops star, is without question the most renowned African-American sports hall of fame in the United States.
Eddie Younger paved the way for celebrating and honoring this nation’s legendary African-American athletes from the U.S. and worldwide. The Bob Douglass Hall of Fame is home to the greatest of this nation’s African-American athletes. There is no other organization in existence that has recognized and honored the African-American athlete of yesteryear as has the Bob Douglas Hall of Fame.
African-American male and female athletes, for the most part, went without recognition for their accomplishments in this city, the nation and the world. That was until Eddie Younger, Lorraine Younger and Garrett founded the John Hunter Memorial Camp Fund to honor and recognize these legendary men and women.
Countless men and women went without recognition until the founding of the John Hunter Memorial Camp Fund, which has since sent hundreds of young children to summer camps.
Early pioneers and legends Fritz Pollard, the first African-American quarterback; Bob Douglas, owner and coach of the New York Renaissance, the very first team to win a professional basketball championship; George Gregory, Columbia University; Paul Robeson; Ed Younger, Renaissance; Joe Yancey; Alice Coachman; Joe Lillard; Tank Conrad; Judy Johnson; Pop Gates; John Isaacs; the New York Renaissance; Tarzan Cooper; Cool Papa Bell; Monte Irvin; and Jackie Robinson were some of the African-American athletes who did not receive recognition before the founding of the John Hunter Memorial Camp Fund.