Sports | Friday, April 22, 2011 1:56 pm by Tom Yelle | Comments Off
For a half century, it has been a challenge for organizers of the Anoka Letterman’s ‘A’ Club to come up with an interesting, informative program.
That has meant delivering a special theme notably in the form of well-known personality as the guest speaker.
In the past, of course, this organization, which provides the two biggest single scholarships to graduating Anoka High School students — this year a pair of $5000 scholarships to two graduating male athletes in the names of former ‘A’ Club members Ed Vevea and Jack Blesi — has offered its members some home-run celebrity speakers. Foremost on the list were NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Bart Starr and Lou Holtz.
This year — keeping with the tradition of securing the reigning University of Minnesota head football coach as an ‘A’ Club speaker — the principal man scheduled to be at the podium is Jerry Kill.
Just like Murray Warmath, Cal Stoll, Jim Wacker, Glen Mason and Tim Brewster did, coach Kill will come to Greenhaven to address the group, which this year is scheduled for June 1. Coach Jerry Kill is a speaker whom ‘A’ Club organizer Carl Youngquist hopes will entice a larger-than-ordinary group of Anoka High School athletic alumni to attend.
“Our record crowd was 220 when Lou [Holtz] came to speak and last year we had a very good crowd of 180 when [former New England Patriots all-pro linebacker] Steve Nelson [of Anoka] spoke,” he said.
“Because of the fact there is always interest in Gophers football combined with the fact the new coach has become known as a no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it is kind of guy, I am hoping we can get somewhere between those numbers (220 and 180) for this year’s event.”
But getting Jerry Kill was not easy, certainly not as easy as it was in securing Lou Holtz as the guest speaker in 1984.
“Back then, of course, we could rely on Billy to help us out,” said Youngquist referring to the late Billy Bye, who graduated from Anoka and was considered one of the all-time greats as a Minnesota Gophers football player.
“Billy [Bye] had strong connections with the University athletics department, and back then [1984] was on the search committee for the new football coach,” said Youngquist.
“We had not lined up a guest speaker for that spring and I called Billy with the intention of seeing if he could help out,” Youngquist added. “He thought I was calling to see if we — the ‘A’ Club — could get first claim on the new football coach when he was hired.
“That was not my original intention, and Billy told me that the search was taking longer than expected, but he would get back to me. Well, we were all shocked when the news came out [late in the winter season] that Lou
Holtz had been named the new coach and a day later Billy was on the phone to tell me that he [Holtz] would be out to speak to our group.”
Billy Bye died nearly two years ago during a boating accident, missing the 50th event last spring and now this year’s ‘A’ Club event with Kill.
Youngquist sighs, recognizing the loss of a good friend and the loss of a driving force with the state’s oldest high school alumni group, the ‘A’ Club.
“Yes, Billy helped make things a little easier for us when he was around and involved, but we are trying to do our best and have tried to follow the lead he left.”
Getting Jerry Kill to be the 2011 speaker was a significant accomplishment and involved some major juggling.
First, getting in touch with the new coach — to see if he would be interested — was a major step. Then getting him to commit to the May 23, which was originally established as this year’s gathering date was another challenge.
Working with the University of Minnesota Office of Football Operations, Youngquist was told the new coach was unavailable May 23 because of a daughter’s graduation and ensuing family vacation that had been planned.
Still, knowing coach Kill was still a desired guest speaker for the ‘A’ Club and the fact coach Kill’s name already had been dropped to other members of the organization, Youngquist did not give up.
Consequently, the ‘A’ Club’s gathering date was changed from May 23 to June 1, a date to which the new coach agreed.
“It [June 1] is a little closer to the high school graduation than we would like,” said Youngquist. “But it was important enough to make the move so we can make some money for the scholarship fund.”
Since the new date was announced, Youngquist has reported a strong members’ response, especially from former Anoka High School athletes, who graduated during the 1990s. He has even stronger hopes the event, which includes a daytime golf outing and early evening silent auction, will raise $12,000 or more.
“This would be ideal,” Youngquist added.
He also hopes the reception for five former influential Anoka High School coaches — who are not official or even special circumstance members of the organization —will be just as strong.
Youngquist said it won’t be an “every-year-kind-of-deal,” but noted the ‘A’ Club has extended invitations to former coaches Don Kropp (several varsity sports), DeWayne Johnson (football), Jim Alley (hockey) and Joe Poole (hockey) to this year’s gathering as well as longtime volunteer assistant football coach Denny Raihe to attend.
While those in attendance will want to hear what the new Gophers coach as to say, Youngquist added:
“We would also like to share our appreciation with these individuals for their part in Anoka High School athletics.”
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