KENOSHA, Wis. — Sports legends Rocky Marciano, Pete Rose, Dick Butkus, Bart Starr, Joe Montana and a long list of other all-time greats visited Kenosha.
All because of Holy Rosary Sports Night.
The popular event takes place each February to honor Kenosha County’s Outstanding Male and Female Athletes of the Year and to give area residents an opportunity to rub elbows with sports celebrities.
“It became more than just a parish event,” Holy Rosary Sports Night co-chairman Tony Geliche said. “It became a community event.”
Based on a decision event planners say is due to economic and structural changes in professional and college sports, Holy Rosary Sports Night was canceled for just the second time since 1954.
The event was called off in 2021 due to Covid-19.
“it’s been a part of my life for 40-plus years,” said Geliche, who attended school at Holy Rosary. “When you grow up with the event, it’s sad to see it go. But we didn’t want to run an event where at the last minute we had to tell a community we can’t do this.”
The rights of college athletes to control and profit from their name, image and likeness – commonly referred to as NIL – has sent appearance and autograph fees skyrocketing.
"That hurt us a little bit to be honest with you,” Pawell said. “This whole image and likeness thing. While it's very good for them and college athletes can be paid while they’re in their college careers, it's also driven up the cost for us."
Those added costs made the event no longer financially viable, according to Pawell.
The committee said it will still honor its Outstanding Male and Female Athletes of the Year. Those will be announced annually in May.
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