The historic 75th UNICO All-Star Charity Football Game will be played on Thursday at the beautiful Wilkes-Barre Area High School Football Stadium.
The keyword there is “historic.”
Because it is very historic.
Well over 5,000 local Wyoming Valley football players have played in this game since its inception.
UNICO is the largest Italian American organization in the United States.
What is really significant is that the Wilkes-Barre Chapter dedicates revenues from this game to local Wyoming Valley charities — 75% to charities or agencies associated with mental health, and 25% to general charities.
Attorney Bill Anzalone and his son, Attorney Jamie Anzalone, have played integral roles in keeping the tradition of the UNICO game alive. Anna Gallo is President of the Wilkes-Barre UNICO Chapter, and she was recently named President of the board of Victory Sports, which provides athletic and social activities for adults with mental and/or physical challenges.
UNICO is an organization that continues to do a lot of meaningful fundraising in our community and donates to organizations that, in turn, can continue to do their own critical work for people in need.
The history
Attorney Bill Anzalone provided a lot of the history of the UNICO All-Star charitable football, which was first played in December 1951. The game has been played continuously since that date, honoring All-Stars from each of the schools participating in the Wyoming Valley Conference.
The game has been played continuously since 1951, with one year being canceled, that being the year of the Agnes flood in 1972, and during COVID, the teams were selected, but the game was canceled.
In the earliest years, the game was played in December, following the conclusion of the regular football season. However, for obvious reasons of freezing weather, the game was moved to August, where it was played for many years, about two weeks before the players left for college football camps.
Concerns that it was too close to the start of college football, the game was then moved to June, where it was played for many years; however, once again, because of players having had other commitments, the decision was made to move it to the week following Memorial Day.
Top players/coaches
Through the years, UNICO has had multiple professional athletes serve as its honorary game chairman, which would have included Dan Marino, Ron Jaworski, Franco Harris, Blair Thomas, Ken Stabler, and Lou Michaels.
UNICO has also had many athletes who were selected to play in the game from the Wyoming Valley Conference who continued their careers in the NFL, including Greg Skrepenak, Rocket Ismail, Qadri Ismail, Ron Solt, Mark Manusky, Harry and Lance Hamilton, Quinton Harris, Bo Orlando, Ron Powlus, Mark Duda, Jim Cefalo, Bucky Greeley, Bruce Kozerski, Connor McGovern, Mark Glowinski, Julian Campenni, and Dominick DeLuca, to name just a few.
UNICO is the largest Italian American organization in the United States. The Wilkes-Barre chapter of UNICO dedicates its revenues derived from this game to local Wyoming Valley charities. The Wilkes-Barre Chapter of UNICO has averaged more than $30,000 per year in donations to various charities that benefit our local community and has, since the inception of the game, contributed more than $500,000.
Since 2016, UNICO has given a Most Valuable Player’s Trophy named in honor of legendary high school football coach George Curry.
Since 2016, Anzalone and Doyle have given a sponsor’s award to an individual associated with sports who best represents the values of integrity and sportsmanship and has contributed to enhancing the value and reputation of sports in the Wyoming Valley. The recipients have included coaches Jack Henzes, the first coach at Wyoming Area; Ted Jackson; Mark Duda; Marvin Antennas; Charles Fick; John Joseph, and Mike Namey, representing the three schools that now comprise the Wilkes Barre area school district; Randy Spencer; Rich Mannello; and Stephanie Jallen, who had distinguished herself as a Paralympian in downhill skiing.
The donations
Some of the charities that have benefited over the years include the following:
John Heinz Rehab Hospital pediatric autism services; United Way of Wyoming Valley; Dress for Success; National Alliance on Mental Illness; Luzerne intermediate Unit 18; Cooley’s Anemia Foundation; Northeast Sight Services; the Care and Concern Free Health Clinic; Wyoming Valley Challenger Little League; Saint Joseph’s Center; Wilkes Barre Family YMCA; Pittston YMCA; St. Vincent de Paul’s Kitchen; Camp Cadet; Volunteers of America and more.
For all of the support that UNICO has given back to the community, the community should jump at the chance to support UNICO, the game, the players, and the coaches. UNICO exemplifies what community is all about. They raise money by honoring and showcasing the very best players in the area, and they take that money and donate it to organizations in the community to help them fulfill their worthy missions.
UNICO stands for “Unity, Neighborliness, Integrity, Charity, and Opportunity.”
They sure do.