By ALAN HOSKINS, KCKCC
KANSAS CITY, KAN. ---- The memory of the late Keith Lindsey will be further perpetuated by the establishment of “The Keith Award” at the Keith Lindsey Scholarship Scramble held each fall.
Bill Clem, Joe Lauria and Alan Hoskins were named the first recipients of the award at the 10th annual Lindsey Scholarship golf tournament held Monday at Dub’s Dread Golf Course. The tournament serves as a fund-raiser for athletic programs at Kansas City Kansas Community College.
In addition, Dan and Linda Pratt were honored with an appreciation plaque for their efforts in founding and coordinating the tournament for the past 10 years.
“Usually there would be 25-26 guys on a committee each year and by the time of the tournament, Dan would be handling it all,” said Dave Lindsey. Pratt retired as KCKCC Athletic Director last December.
“The Keith Award” was established to recognize “persons who have been an inspiration to others or who have unselfishly promoted the endeavors of others.”
Killed in a car accident on Christmas morning 10 years ago, Keith Lindsey was the long-time owner of Varsity Sports and KCK’s biggest supporter of youth, high school and college athletic programs. “Whenever a kid needed something and couldn’t pay for it, Keith would make sure he got it” said Dave Lindsey.
In addition to the annual Scholarship Scramble, KCKCC’s annual season opening basketball tournament bears his name. Named to the Mid-America Education Hall of Fame at KCKCC, he’s been the recipient of several other posthumous honors. Much-beloved in the community, hundreds and hundreds of people showed up for his wake. Scheduled for from 5-7 p.m., it ran for more than five hours to past 10 p.m.
It is most fitting that Lindsey’s cousin and very close friend, Bill Clem, was one of the first recipients of “The Keith Award.”
Stricken with polio at the age of 18 months, Clem did not let having to get around with a cane stop him from playing various sports as a youth and he eventually played 23 years with the Kansas City Rolling Pioneers” wheelchair basketball team and was named to the Wheelchair Basketball Hall of Fame in 1975.
A 30-year meteorologist with WDAF-4 Action News and other media outlets, Lauria was honored for “using his media platform to promote charitable golf and make the community aware of the opportunities to help support worthy charities.”
Currently Sports Information Director at KCKCC and former sports editor and long-time columnist for the Kansas City Kansan, Hoskins was honored “For his tireless promotion of sports in the KCK community and years of service promoting youth and their sports programs in the KCK community."
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PHOTO: The first “Keith Awards” were presented Monday to (from left) Joe Lauria, Bill Clem and Alan Hoskins at the 10th annual Keith Lindsey Scholarship Scramble Monday. The award was created to recognize persons who have been an inspiration to others or who have unselfishly promoted the endeavors of others.” (Photo by Dr. Jim Gill)
