The Sports Shop Honors 2020 Salute to Champions with Celebratory Luncheon

The Sports Shop Radio Show w/ Reese & Kmac spent the month of February recognizing and highlighting African American individuals who have achieved in their respective fields and/or paved the way for others as part of their 2020 Salute To Champions. The Black History Month focus culminated with an awards luncheon Thursday, February 27. The celebration, which has become an annual event, took place at the PNC Triangle Club at the Durham Bulls.

“Our Salute to Champions event has quickly become a signature moment during Black History month,” said The Sports Shop Co-Host Erroll Reese. “We started with the simple idea of recognizing individuals doing extraordinary things as African Americans. We feel that our platform has provided us with an extraordinarily unique opportunity to provide insight within the African American Community, which we take very seriously.”

The individuals were recognized in areas of Education/Business, Politics/Community and Sports/Entertainment. The honorees all have some association with the state of North Carolina.

“Each year there’s always a common theme amongst the recipients,” said Reese. “‘Service to Others’ was the overwhelming theme this year. Kevin McClendon and I are proud to serve our community with this token of our appreciation.”

Eleven individuals were honored in for 2020. Several times per week during the month of February, The Sports Shop featured interviews with the winners during a special feature called “Salute to Champions.”

“It’s exhilarating to see how impactful these individuals are in their own respective disciplines,” said Reese. “Each time we do this, I’m hopeful that the efforts of these individuals and others will continue to be the catalyst to make this world a better place.”

An additional element of the Luncheon added last year, is the recognition and awareness of a local non-profit that has demonstrated significant support in the local community. The Sports Shop featured Meals on Wheels Durham for the 2020 Salute to Champions Awards Luncheon. Meals On Wheels Durham’s mission is to enhance the quality of life for seniors, peoples with disabilities, and other eligible community members who are unable to provide proper nutrition for themselves by delivering meals, offering personal interactions, and providing other complementary services.

A “Salute to Champions” Advisory Panel, comprised of experts and historians in their respective areas of focus, selected the 2020 winners.

“I couldn’t be more pleased with the support we’ve received thus far,” said The Sports Shop Co-Host Kevin “Kmac” McClendon, “Often times we overlook the accomplishments of our friends, neighbors and colleagues. I’m hopeful the Salute to Champions awards gives recognition to those individuals, and provides an environment fostering future collaboration for all.”