Local youth in Fairfield County are benefiting from the efforts of the Fairfield County Sports Hall of Fame & Youth Foundation, which marked its 20th anniversary. The organization, now located at Chelsea Piers in Stamford since 2019, has a long history of supporting young athletes and honoring local sports figures.
In the last two years, nearly $120,000 has been donated by the foundation to support over 20 youth organizations, charities, and camps. Since its start in 2005, the Hall has celebrated close to 130 sports legends from 21 different communities in the area. Notable honorees include baseball manager Bobby Valentine from Stamford and Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinee Steve Young from Greenwich.
The foundation’s work extends beyond honoring achievements. According to Tom Chiappetta with the Fairfield County Sports Hall of Fame & Youth Foundation: “We’ve had ties to News 12 and all the media people here and without them we couldn’t have gotten things done.” Chiappetta also noted the accomplishments of other inductees by saying: “We had Dorothy Hamill, Bill Toomey and then Bruce Jenner who won the decathlon. They all won gold medals in the amateur wing.”
Some individuals honored by the foundation have participated directly in youth programs and camps, such as former NBA player Wes Mathews and Olympic gold medalist Sue Merz.
Originally based at UConn Stamford Campus between 2005 and 2018, the Hall moved its base to Chelsea Piers. Since 2008, it has given back over $400,000 to more than 100 organizations for young people throughout Fairfield County.
