ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- The newest women's basketball tournament on this season's local college sporting scene will be unique to the Rochester area.
On Nov. 19-20, Nazareth College will host the inaugural Onnie's Classic, whose purpose is to raise funds to support the "Onnie Wells Child Life Activity Room" in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Golisano Children's Hospital.
The event has pre-determined pairings. On opening night (Saturday, Nov. 19), Smith College of Northampton, Mass. will play The College at Brockport at 6 p.m., followed at 8 p.m. by Cazenovia College vs. Nazareth. The next afternoon's (Sunday, Nov. 20) match-ups will have Smith vs. Nazareth at 1 p.m. and Cazenovia vs. Brockport at 3 p.m. Admission is $5 for each doubleheader session in Nazareth's Kidera Gymnasium.
The Onnie's Classic, which has been in the planning stages for two years, is the brainchild of Tony Wells, the former 28-year JPMorgan Chase Scholarship Basketball Tournament executive who retired in 2009. "Nazareth College and Golisano Children's Hospital have been eager, creative partners," says Wells, who serves as the event's volunteer executive director.
"The Onnie's Classic is not just another four-team tournament," explains Wells. "It will be unique to our area in a number of ways: bringing in two teams (Smith and Cazenovia) who rarely appear in Rochester; stressing involvement by the local alums of the four teams; serving as an academic opportunity for Nazareth's Sport Administration course; raising funds for a most-respected children's hospital. And, the Onnie's Classic is the only local college women's basketball tournament named after a female."
The local alumni clubs of the participating teams are all enthusiastically behind the Onnie's Classic. "All four alumni organizations are actively promoting attendance for the Saturday night opening doubleheader... not only to root for their respective squads, but also by hosting an on-site 'Meet The Team' reception immediately following each game," notes Wells.
All funds raised by the Onnie's Classic will be given to the "Onnie Wells Child Life Fund," which was established in the fall of 2009 by Golisano Children's Hospital to provide enhancements and enriching materials to its Onnie Wells Child Life Activity Room. Onnie (
On-knee), who died in February of 2009, was a life-long Rochesterian (and the mother of Tony Wells). A member of the Class of 1947 at Smith College, she was also an active member of the Smith College Club of Rochester for 62 years. Eight of her late sister's (Skip Hawks) children or grandchildren attended Smith, Cazenovia, or Nazareth.
The Onnie's Classic has set a goal of raising $8,000, with the funds coming from gate receipts and a Saturday night raffle, which will have 12 gift certificate prizes (six drawn at the halftime of each game) totaling more than more than $2,000 that have been donated by the Nazareth College business community.
Devin Gotham, Nazareth's head women's basketball coach who also teaches the college's Sport Administration class that has an active, hands-on game management role in the Onnie's Classic, sums up his Golden Flyers' participation in next month's competition.
"We're excited about hosting what promises to be a first-class event that will stress the finest traditions and purposes of Nazareth College and its intercollegiate athletic department," he said. "And we're not alone in our enthusiasm, as Vassar College, Keuka College, and Brockport have already agreed to play in the Second Annual Onnie's Classic (Nov. 17-18, 2012)."