NeveHarms For forty-one years, Bert Sanders has been promoting and volunteering at sporting and outdoor events in the Peoria area. An enthusiastic individual in the community, he has been foremost at the front in many aspects of area sporting events. Bert has actively been a hands-on person. Peoria Journal Star sports writer, Jack Ehresman said, "With the help of Bert, Don Wolland and the Isaac Walton Legion, they started what was called National Hunting and Fishing Days." This involved thirty-two outdoor clubs. Bert and Don served for 3 years (1971-1974) as co-chairmen of the event.
From 1965 to 1975 Bert was a shooting exhibitor in the field of archery. During that period, he was heavily involved as an instructor for teenagers at many area high schools. He also served as archery club secretary.
In 1984, he became race director for the Peoria Motorcycle Club of the TT Races. After 28 seasons, he still holds that position. This event has produced an unbelievable amount of revenue for the community. In 1993, Bert was awarded Dirt Track Promoter of the Year by the Motorcycle Association. Continuously tied to racing throughout the year, he has volunteered for obstacle races and poker runs. He's often called upon by others for his expertise when it comes to anything with events associated to the Peoria motorcycle track. He was on the committee which created the Grand National Weekend. Presently, he's in the process of expanding this to a 3-day event. For his contributions, Bert was named Grand Marshal of the event in 2005.
In 1994, he became a member of the Peoria Area Sports Commission. Since that time, he has been the most active volunteer for the organization. Bert has spent countless hours at March Madness, the state cross country meet, state girls softball and boys baseball tournaments, Steamboat Days and other sporting events sponsored by the Peoria Convention and Visitors Bureau. In 2005, he received the PCVB "Steve Kouri MVP Award" for promoting and volunteering at March Madness. His lifetime of service is greatly appreciated.
H. V. Porter Henry Van Arsdale (H.V.) Porter A native of Manito, Ill., Henry Van Arsdale Porter is credited with coining the phrase "March Madness," but his influence on high school athletics in the state of Illinois and nationally is much more tangible. After graduating from Illinois State University in 1913, Porter began his career as a high school coach, athletic director and principal. He led the Athens High School boys basketball team to a 29-1 record and a runner-up finish in the 1924 state tournament, as well as a 36-3 record and fourth-place state tournament finish in 1926. Well known for his administrative skills, however, Porter served as an IHSA Assistant Executive Director from 1929-40, before moving on to the National Federation of High School Athletic Associations (NFHS) staff in 1940 as the organization's first executive secretary and editor of publications. Throughout his career, Porter's contributions in a wide range of areas led directly to the evolution of basketball. During his service to the IHSA, Porter organized the department to train and license high school officials in football, basketball and baseball and he oversaw the introduction for state tournaments in the sports of tennis, golf, swimming and wrestling. He also published the first high school basketball rules book in 1936, standardizing the game across the country. Among his contributions to the game, Porter designed the popular, fan-shaped backboard in 1933 and in 1935 he pushed for the replacement of the 32-inch sewn leather basketball with a 29.5-inch, molded leather basketball. The new ball was much easier for youth players to handle and made dribbling a more prominent skill in all levels of the game. Porter also pioneered the use of motion pictures to study proper playing techniques. Porter was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1960 and the Athens High School gymnasium is named in his honor. |