Carmel’s Bitto to receive hometown hero honor

Carmel Catholic football coach Andy Bitto will receive the 2012 Sports Faith International: hometown hero-lifetime achievement award for outstanding coaches Sunday.

He is the only coach receiving the award this year.

Each year, Sports Faith International, chaired by the Chicago Bears’ Patrick McCaskey, inducts extraordinary athletes, coaches and teams into its sports faith hall of fame and honors its hometown heroes.

This year, in celebration of the Year of Teens and Young Adults, the Archdiocese of Chicago is teaming up with Sports Faith International and its partners, including Sports Leader, Catholic Athletes for Christ, Relevant Radio, Franciscan University of Steubenville, Catholic Financial Life and Lighthouse Catholic Media, to invite the Archdiocese’s best and brightest athletes, coaches and teams to meet, mingle and inspire one another.

All coaches, teams, students, friends and families are welcome to attend.

This year’s inductees also include New Orleans Saints owner and president Tom Benson, former NFL defensive lineman Mike McCoy, record-breaking race car driver and F16 pilot Audrey Zavodsky, former major league baseball player Darrell Miller and Monsignor Gregory K. Ketcham of the University of Illinois.

The event starts Sunday with 8 a.m. mass at Carmel.

Register and print permission slips on line at www.sportsfaithinternational.org. For more information, email atomlinson@sportsfaithinternational.com or call (847) 331-6994.