New Canaan will turn back the clock next month, celebrating its sports past when the New Canaan Old Timers Association hosts its annual picnic on Sunday, September 20th at Waveny Castle.
This year’s honorees are Joe DiPanni, Bea James, Robert Jones, Brian, Chris and Scott Overbeck, Mary Beth Pickering and Monroe Trout.
Basketball legend Gary Liberatore speaks at a past NCOT celebration. Credit: New Canaan Old Timers Association
“This is a big reunion for the old timers,” NCOT President and former sports star Len Paglialunga told NewCanaanite.com. “We gather, we get to talk about old times and get to meet fellow old timers. Our batting averages go up, our points-per-game go up and our ERA’s go down. I have not seen one of these events where people did not have a good time.”
The celebration runs from 10am to 3pm and includes a continental breakfast and lunch. The cost is $50 for adults, $20 for students.Proceeds from the event goes toward the Vin Iovino Scholarship, named for former NCHS athletic director and presented to selected senior athletes at the annual sports picnic and award ceremony held at the end of every school year. This year’s winners were Josh Hermann, Navin Nair and Bailey Pilder.
Rick Ericson and Steve Benko helping prepare for the annual Old Timers clambake.
Checks can be made out to New Canaan Old Timers and sent to P.O. Box 1642, New Canaan, CT 06840. The association has also set up a Facebook group, open to any New Canaanites who would like to reconnect on social media, share stories of New Canaan’s sporting past and receive updates on NCOT events.
NewCanaanite.com will post bios of each one of the honorees in the weeks leading up to next month’s event.