Ron Onesti, President and CEO of Onesti Entertainment Corporation, has been recognized for his professionalism, community development, and entertainment contributions across the country. Among two of his awards are these:
ELLIS ISLAND MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENT
The Ellis Island Medal of Honor was founded by the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations (NECO) and intended to pay homage to the immigrant experience. The medals honor the contribution made to America by immigrants and the legacy they left behind in the successes of their children and grandchildren. Many Medalists take pride in documenting their family's entry to the country via Ellis Island. The medals are awarded to native-born and naturalized U.S. citizens from various ethnic backgrounds. The honorees are said to "exemplify outstanding qualities in both their personal and professional lives, while continuing to preserve the richness of their particular heritage."
The medals were established at the time of NECO's founding in 1986. A ceremony is held each May on Ellis Island. All branches of the United States Armed Forces traditionally participate. Both the United States House of Representatives and United States Senate have officially recognized the Ellis Island Medals of Honor. Each year’s recipients are read into the Congressional Record. The Great Hall where immigrants were once processed hosts the gala dinner which follows the ceremony. Approximately 100 Medalists are honored each year. Past Medalists include six Presidents, as well as Nobel Prize winners and leaders of industry, education, the arts, sports and government.The Ellis Island Medals of Honor celebrate the diversity of American life, honoring not only individuals, but the pluralism and democracy that have enabled ancestry groups to maintain their identities while becoming integral parts of the American Way of life. Others who have received this prestigous medal include Frankie Valli, Muhammed Ali, Mary Lou Retton, Bill Clinton and Frank Sinatra.
Getting to Know Ron Onesti
on stage, and behind-the-scenes...
The Forest Park Sixteen Inch Softball Museum is set to open in Forest Park, IL in July 2014. Thanks to the park trustees, Mayor Calderone and the community of Forest Park, the HOF has inducted over 400 former and current softball players, umpires, managers and organizers at annual dinners averaging 600 attendees. In addition to its inductees, the HOF has also been proud to honor those who have contributed to the success of the game, including “friends of softball” and some of softball’s greatest teams.
Ron and his brother Rich were inducted this past weekend! Here's Ron's acceptance speech:
We can't say enough just how honored, and truly shocked we are! Back in the early 80s, when we first got into the business, 16" softball was approaching its 100th year, so it had obviously been rockin and rollin as a popular sport already. But as each generation of players had its colorful characters, great games and memorable plays, we saw the game from a different perspective. Our store, Softball City, became kind of the "Cheers Bar" for the game. On any early Saturday morning, before the games would start, players from different teams, parks and leagues would come into the store to try on uniforms, feel those huge 37" Chicago 10 war clubs, or just buy a new jock.
Like clockwork, one player would recognize another, and the play by play commentary would begin. We were like saloon keepers, hosting conversations at the counter about which team was better, who lost because of a bad call, or who got hammered at the sponsor bar the night before. It was really great because guys, and girls, from all walks of life came together and spoke the same language. During the day they were lawyers, electricians, business owners and truck drivers. But once or twice a week, they put on their team colors, their terry cloth wristbands, their chicago style softball pants that had slits at the bottom and magically transformed into Cal Ripken Jr, Mike Schmidt, or Ryne Sandberg. Hitting for power, turning double plays and winning the game in the last inning...the only thing better than experiencing those things, was talking about them in places like our store.
Our charge came when a customer would pick up his uniforms and be so excited, he would put it on right there in the store. You could see the pride on his face as he put on that heavyweight cotton full button down sleeveless jersey with 7 color trim and 3 color team patch across the chest and extra large numbers and a 2 color nick name sewn on the back. And that made us proud when the whole team would come in and put on their 100% cotton t shirts with team name on front, sponsor on the back and league patch on the sleeve. To see a bunch of guys wearing shirts that said "Screaming Beavers" or Dilligafs or treebaggers on their chest, and being so proud doing so was really great fun.
Even all these years later, we still see guys with shirts we made back then, knowing that something we created became their favorite shirt. Yes, 16" softball spawned a host of memories for people. But as it turns out, the sports jerseys we made, became a sponge that perpetually soaked up those memories and brought them back to light whenever they were worn again.But then Teal and fuscia became colors for uniforms, and thats when we knew it was the beginning of the end for us. Actually, we had so much success with our Softball City Supershow, a specialty tradeshow and social get together for the sport, that we decided to go into full time special event and concert production, and we haven't stopped rockin ever since.
We want to thank Al Maag, Ron Kubicki and all those who kept this train rollin, and for this great honor. We also want to thank so many of the players and pioneers who really became friends and mentors, guys like Rich Melman, Joel Zimberoff, Frank Holan, Eddie Zolna, Bob Campbell, Bruce Meade, Mike North and so many others. Chet, thank you for a truly humbling introduction. You are to Chicago Sports what the Clincher is to softball. And to the 16" Softball Hall of Fame, you are now a reality, a shrine of honor, a hall of memories. You are OUR cooperstown, and as Santo finally has a home, so too do those players, coaches, umpires and pioneers who ate the dirt sliding into home, and oh what delicious dirt it was.
