• Lester Carney (2019)

​The Summit County Sports Hall of Fame would like to congratulate Lester N. Carney, Sr. on being named the 2019 recipient of the Ed Kalail Award. Les, from Wintersville, Ohio, graduated in 1952 from Wintersville High School. He obtained his BSC from Ohio University in 1959. Stationed in Germany, Les served in the United States Army and received an Honorable Discharge in 1957. From 1959-1989 he was employed by the M. O’Neil Company as an executive. Les was also employed by The County of Summit from 1989-1999. In High School he lettered in football, basketball and track. Les was also a member of 1952 winning Ohio vs. West Virginia All-Star football team. In 1955 he was on the USEURA Championship football team during his time in Germany. Les was also the All USEURA and 100 meter champion in track in 1956. During his football career at Ohio University he was a member of the 1953 Mid-American Championship team, was honorable mention at the running back position and was drafted by the Baltimore Colts in 1953. Also during his time at Ohio University he competed in track. He won the MAC Championships in the 100, 200, 4 X 100, 4 X 200 and the 4 X 400. He held the MAC Championship record in the 220/200 for over 20 years. Les was the fi rst NCAA All American for Ohio University. He was voted the Sportsperson of the year in 1959. Les won the silver medal in the 200 meters during the Chicago Pan American Games in 1959. He also participated in the Rome Olympics in 1960, winning the silver medal in the 200 meters in a time of 20.6 seconds. He was also recipient of the AAU All American Award. In 2015 the Indian Creek High School (Wintersville) High School dedicated the track in honor of Lester Carney, Sr. and named it “The Lester Carney Track at Kettlewell Stadium”. Les is also a member of the State of Ohio Hall of Fame, Summit County Sports Hall of Fame, Ohio University Hall of Fame (youngest inductee), Indian Creek Hall of Fame (Wintersville High School), Ohio Valley Athletic Conference Hall of Fame and the Eastern District Track & Cross Country Coaches Association. He also serves on the board of directors for Towpath Credit Union (Chairman), Summit Senior Golf Akron and Tiretown Golf Club/Charities (Executive Committee). Lester volunteers in many activities that keep him very busy. Some these activities include Summit Sports Hall of Fame Committee (28 years), First Tee of Greater Akron (21 years), Bridgestone Invitational (19 years) HM Life (7 years) and the Child and Family Leadership Program (2nd class). Lester is married to Mary E. Carney. Together they have 6 children, 14 grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren.

• Ed Kalail (2018)​​

​Volunteerism is generally considered an activity developed for the wellness of others by providing services for no fi nancial or social gain to benefi t another person, group, or organization. Every community has so many areas that were either started or are continued because of volunteers. The Summit County Sports Hall of Fame (SCSHOF), founded in 1957, is just one of those organizations with longterm commitments by dedicated volunteers. And it is apropos that tonight one of its committee members, Edward G. Kalail, who has demonstrated a unique dedication to community service and a desire to make a positive impact on the lives around him, not only becomes the fi rst to be recognized by the SCSHOF for his volunteerism, but he also becomes the namesake for the honor that will be awarded annually to an individual in Summit County. There is little wonder why Ed, as most people call him, was chosen for this inaugural honor. To begin, Ed joined the SCSHOF Committee early in 1968 and he stayed until his last meeting on November 28, 2017 with some 50 years of service. That many years of volunteer service is not only exemplary, but monumental. Ironically, an outsider precipitated the award. When Linda Buchholzer, the widow of long-time SCSHOF Committee member Bruce Buchholzer, learned that Kalail was retiring from the committee, she approached Jim Young, 2018 President and General Chairman, and indicated that something should be done in Kalail’s name. Young brought the idea of honoring Kalail for his years of volunteering to the General Committee since former committee members had awards in their names: Andy Palich Service Award for the betterment of athletics in the county; Phil Dietrich Award for outstanding senior athletes and the Bruce Buchholzer Scholarship Award for high school seniors. The Committee then decided it should be an annual award in Edward G. Kalail’s name. Kalail served on almost every committee through the years along with being President and General Chairman in 1971. Ed closed out his 50 years of service, however, with his longest assignment of his volunteering career, 13 years (2005-2017) as editor of the banquet program and chairman of the Advertising and Patrons Committee. While producing outstanding Hall of Fame Banquet programs as the editor, Kalail also became the primary writer of most of the Hall of Fame inductee biographies and was responsible for maintaining and updating the SCSHOF history. Not surprisingly, Kalail positioned himself as a leader in several other organizations in the Akron area, sharing his volunteering time and energy. He worked at 23 professional golf tournaments at Firestone Country Club, served 15 years on the Touchdown Club Executive Board, including four years as president, served 10 years on the Catholic Youth Organization Board of Trustees and spent nine years on the Akron Civic Theatre Board. He also served on the boards at the American Red Cross, the Better Business Bureau of Akron, the East Akron Board of Trade and Family Services. In addition, Ed was a 30-year member of the Akron Press Club where he served on several committees. The 85-year-old Kalail, who truly embodies everything this award represents, and his wife, Cathy, are parents of three sons and one daughter and have ten grandchildren. He is the “complete Akronite.” That is, Kalail was born, raised, educated, worked, and lived in Akron. He is a graduate of Buchtel High School and is one the few alumni to have earned a degree in journalism from The University of Akron. He was employed 32 years by the former General Tire Inc., fi rst as editor of its employee newspaper, “General-ly Speaking”, and then coordinator of product publicity, assistant to the president and fi nally Manager of Public Relations for the Tire Division. During Kalail’s time at General Tire, along with companies such as Goodyear, Firestone, Goodrich, Mohawk, and Uniroyal, Akron earned the moniker of “Rubber Capital of the World.” Thank you Ed for setting the ultimate volunteer example.