Cougars move winter banquet

The Kane County Cougars' 2008 winter banquet and silent auction, sponsored by Provena Mercy Medical Center, has been moved to Riverside Receptions & Conference Center in Geneva, located off of the Fox River.

The event date remains the same and will be held on Friday, Feb. 1. Former Cub and four-time batting champion Bill Madlock will serve as keynote speaker.

Madlock will be joined at the podium by Cougars manager Aaron Nieckula, 2007 team MVP Jermaine Mitchell and Cougars GM Jeff Sedivy.

The evening's festivities kick off at 5:30 p.m. with cocktails and the start of the silent auction.

A sampling of auction items that will be open to bid by banquet attendees include a Ryne Sandberg autographed Cubs jersey, a Josh Beckett autographed Midwest League baseball, four tickets and a zamboni ride at a Blackhawks game, and a "Romance Package" consisting of overnight lodging, dinner and theatre tickets courtesy of Pheasant Run Resort and Spa.

All proceeds from the silent auction benefit Ozzie's Outreach, the Cougars' charitable foundation.

Dinner will be served at 7 p.m. with the auction concluding when the speakers program begins at 8 p.m. Madlock, a three-time Major League All-Star was part of the Pittsburgh Pirates 1979 World Series Championship team and recorded a lifetime average of .305 during his 15-year career.

Fans will hear from Cougars skipper Nieckula, who returns for his third season as Kane County manager. Mitchell, a Midwest League All-Star last season, led the Cougars with 24 stolen bases while also batting .288 as an everyday outfielder.

Banquet tickets are currently on sale and can be ordered online at www.kccougars.com or by calling the Cougars front office at (630) 232-8811. Fans are encouraged to make advance reservations as space is limited and previous banquets have sold out.

• Cougars ticket packages are on sale now for the 2008 season. Packages start at five games and offer package holders exclusive benefits such as complimentary tickets, pregame picnics and the right to reserve premium giveaway items.

A Cubs ticket package, featuring all seven games against the Peoria Chiefs (Cubs affiliate) is available and gives package holders great seats behind the Chiefs' dugout. This season, former Cub and Hall-of-Famer Ryne Sandberg will manage the Chiefs.

For more information, call (630) 232-8811.

Geneva Hall of Fame:Three new members -- Charles Hokonson, the late John LeFeber and Dr. Peter Temple -- will be inducted into Geneva's Hall of Fame Jan. 26 when the varsity boys basketball team hosts St. Charles East.

Hokonson, class of 1933, was the captain of the 1932 football team and named to the all-Little Seven Conference team at center and defensive end.

Later in life he served two terms on the Geneva City Council, two terms on the Geneva Board of Education, 22 years on the Geneva Savings and Loan Board, and was the president of the Geneva Lions Club. Now in his early 90s, he and his wife Helen live in Naples, Fl.

LeFeber stared on the Geneva football teams in the early 1970s. In 1973 as a hulking 6-foot-6, 240-pound offensive and defensive tackle, LeFeber won conference MVP honors and made the Champaign News-Gazette's All-State team.

He earned a full athletic scholarship to Purdue where he lettered all four years as an offensive lineman. As a senior he made the All-Big Ten second team and played in the 1978 Peach Bowl. LeFeber was killed in an automobile crash in 1987 at the age of 31.

Temple, class of 1981, won 19 games as quarterback for Geneva, including a 7-2 season in 1979 and an 8-1 record in 1980 when Geneva was the only team to beat eventual state champion Morris.

He also was a three-year starter in basketball and capped his senior year with one of the most electrifying moments in school history, a 74-70 win over East Aurora in the sectionals. He scored a team-high 20 points that night in front of over 4,000 fans.

Temple has established a successful clinical psychology practice in Geneva after serving as director of clinical training for Kane County Circuit Court. He and his wife Paige have two school-age children and he currently serves as co-chair of Geneva Citizens for Excellent Schools.

ACC also to induct three: Three Aurora Central Catholic Alumni will be inducted into the Aurora Central Catholic Alumni Athletic Hall of Fame Friday.

The inductees are: Bart Reier (1984) of Cary, North Carolina; Margie (Padilla) Buchner (1989) of Plainfield; and Pat Langan (1994) of Aurora.

The induction ceremony will take place at 7:15 p.m. prior to the varsity basketball game against St. Francis. The inductees, their families and all alumni and friends are invited to attend the reception following the induction ceremony in the cafetorium. Questions may be directed to Brian Casey, development office, at (630) 907-0095, ext. 21.

WCC Hall of Fame:The deadline for nominations to Waubonsee Community College's Athletic Hall of Fame is quickly approaching. Individuals or groups can be nominated for the 2008 class of inductees until Feb. 1, 2008.

Hall of Fame selections will be announced the week of April 1 and inductees will be honored at the school's year-ending athletic banquet on May 6, 2008.

Nomination forms are available online at www.waubonsee.edu/athletics or through Waubonsee's athletic office on the college's Sugar Grove campus.

Inductees will be determined by a selection committee representing Waubonsee's staff, administration and former Waubonsee student-athletes. Nominated athletes must be five years removed from competing for Waubonsee.

For more information, contact the Waubonsee athletic department at (630) 466-2524.