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Booker T. Washington Athletic
Banquet
Awarding the outstanding student athletes
of Booker T. Washington and presenting the first J.V. Cain Award
There has been many years since
Booker T. Washington High School has had a sports banquet but, the drought
was ended in a big way Wednesday Night May 12, 2004 with the first All
Sports Banquet in years. The banquet was held in the schools auditorium and
dinner was served in the school cafeteria. There were many dignitaries in
attendance to name few Roy D. Molonson, and Shirley Ann Malonson CEO’s of
Malonson Enterprise, State Representative Charles Dutton, Dr. James LaVois
Superintendent in charge of The Houston Independent School Districts
Athletics programs and Brenda North Athletic Director in charge of high
school sports in the Houston Independent School District. Entertainment was
provided by BTW’s own “ Baby Ocean Of Soul under the direction of Edwin (
Pop) Bigsby .
The Key Note speaker for the occasion was Richard Peavy a former Booker T.
Washington Graduate from the class of 1982 that excelled on the football
field and in the classroom. While in high school Mr. Peavy garnered All
State and All American honors for his two way performances on the gridiron
while lettering also in basketball, track ,and golf. He was ranked in the
top five percent of his class and 2nd Vice President of the senior class of
1982. After graduation Peavy attended the University Of Texas on a football
scholarship. At the University of Texas Peavy continued to shine earning a
starting position as a defensive back. He made the Freshmen All American
Team , All Southwest Conference 1985 and was a team captain in 1986. Peavy
said that with all of these accolades the most important one was the one
that he received in 1988 a diploma from the University Of Texas. His message
to the young men and women in the audience was very simple use your athletic
ability to obtain the education that you will need to make a living in
today's society for your families.
The special award was given in honor of J.V.Cain a former Booker T.
Washington High School graduate that made history in 1974 when the Saint
Louis Cardinals of the National Football League made Cain the first tight
end ever to be drafted in the first round. Mr. Cain went on to rewrite how
the tight end position in the National Football League would be used . He
was a sure hall a famer had it not been for his untimely death in July of
1979 of a heart a tack at the age of 29. This year will be the 25th
anniversary of Mr. Cain’s death but, more importantly it is the 55th
anniversary of the his birth. The award was established this year in
remembrance of J.V. Cain’s life away from sports. We all saw J.V. Cain’s
athletic ability on the football field but, no one knew about his many
mentor programs that advocated citizenship and educational goals for young
people in the Saint Louis area. Mr. Cain saw his success on the football
field as a tool that he could use to motivate young people to want to be
successful members of society. We believe like Mr. Cain that sports prepare
young people for a life long after their playing days are over. This award
was created to give to a person or individual groups that have graciously
donated their time, money and efforts to ensure that the athletic programs
at Booker T. Washington High continues to meet the needs of its athletes.
“This
Award is in line with what we feel like J.V. Cain would be doing at this
stage in his life, if he had lived” said Dr. Victor Keys. In these times of
budget cuts and athletic short falls we must have persons or individual
groups that are willing to step forward to fill the void created by these
dilemmas facing all schools in the areas of athletics. All schools have
people or groups that have served as guardian angles to fill these voids
since the schools created athletic programs. “We just decided that we would
take the time to recognize these unsung heroes with an annual award for
helping our athletic department each year” .Awards were given out to all the
athletes for their participation in all sport related events .The first J.V.
Cain Award was given to Mrs. Shirley Ann Malonson for her continued support
and dedication to the athletic programs at Booker T. Washington High School.
Mr. F. D. Wesley principal of Booker T. Washington High closed the program
part of the evening by challenging each athlete to go out in the hall at the
school and bring two students to the athletic program for next year . Dinner
was served in the school cafeteria to close out the evening.
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