The Bristol Tramps were finally able to celebrate their 50th year honoring members of Bristol’s rich sports history on September 10, 2021. The crowd of over 200 at the AquaTurf enjoyed the dinner and speeches by the 2020 honorees. Congratulations again to those recognized in this year’s class and special thanks to our committee for pulling together another wonderful event!

The Bristol Tramps Sports Reunion Committee is pleased to announce the rescheduling of their 50th Anniversary Dinner. The new date is September 10, 2021. The event will be held at the Aqua Turf Club with the cocktail hour at 6pm, and dinner served at 7pm.

“While the pandemic curbed our plan last year, we’re looking forward to seeing old friends, along with new honorees as we celebrate 50 years of preserving Bristol’s rich sports history”, said chairman Sean Moore.

Plan to secure your ticket early, as we anticipate a record crowd this year. Tickets are $50 and available by contacting any member of the Bristol Tramps Committee.

The Bristol Tramps has postponed its annual induction dinner to May 7, 2021 due to the risks related to the deadly COVID-19 pandemic.

The event will still commence from the Aqua Turf in Southington as the Tramps plan to celebrate its golden jubilee with its 50th induction class.

The latest inductees are Bob “Semo” Siemiatkoski (Raymond ‘Harp’ Broderick Award), Pat Tomkil Johnson (Lydia Jabs Bailey Award), Alison Willette (Ron Choiniere Award), David Hernandez (Charles ‘Chuck’ McCarthy Award), Bristol Adult Resource Center (BARC) Respite Program (Tony Savino Pay-It-Forward Award, Doug Jackson (William ‘Bill’ A. Garrett Award), Tom Shopay (Ed Lodovico Award), Bryant Lishness (Coach Dan Valerio Award), Bristol American Legion Baseball (Julie Larese Team Award),

Scholarships were awarded to these recipients: Mackenzie Pina of Bristol Central (Julie Larese/Frank Scalia Memorial Scholarship), Leah Policarpio of Bristol Eastern (Julie Larese/ Patricia D’Amato Memorial Scholarship), and Jade Udoh of St. Paul (Julie Larese/John E. Tavera Memorial Scholarship).

Each and every year, the Bristol Tramps honors Bristol’s rich sports history and the event next May will continue that outstanding tradition.

Bristol Press, May 2, 2020-Bristol Tramps Donate Dinner to local shelter.

In light of the current status of COVID-19, the Bristol Tramps have rescheduled the 50th anniversary celebration to Thursday, September 10. Please mark your calendars accordingly.

The members wish everyone safety and health as this crisis continues to escalate. Please say home if you can, if not, practice all important social distancing and wash your hands, OFTEN!

We will all get through this….TOGETHER!

This year, the Bristol Tramps will celebrate its 50th year of honoring Bristol’s rich sports history.

It’s the golden jubilee for the program and on May 1, 2020, the Tramps will induct its latest class at the Aqua Turf as eight individuals and one team will once again be recognized at the annual event.

“We look forward to celebrating the Golden Jubilee of our organization honoring this outstanding class of inductees and scholar athletes. We also expect this year’s dinner to be one our largest attended events to date” said Sean Moore Co-Chairman of The Bristol Tramps.

With its 50th celebration around the corner, the Tramps will be honoring the following programs and individuals:

Bob “Semo” Siemiatkoski (Raymond ‘Harp’ Broderick Award) – Played basketball and baseball in high school. Winner of several racquetball championships over the years. Siemiatkoski won the International Racquetball Association World Senior Championship in Albuquerque, New Mexico in 2000 and has been nationally ranked in the Men’s 55+ and 65+ divisions numerous times. Siemiatkoski is currently the co-owner of Country Manor Reality.

Pat Tomkil Johnson (Lydia Jabs Bailey Award) – Played on the girls basketball and softball team at Bristol Eastern in the early 1970s. Physical Education at Eastern for thirty years and helped various sports programs over her tenure. Was the longtime cheerleading coach while assisting in girls basketball, girls track and field, volleyball and assisted the indoor track team at Bristol Central under Tamara Stafford-Kirk.

Alison Willette (Ron Choiniere Award) – Played Unified volleyball in high school and was involved in Challenger baseball and Discovery Basketball for nine years. She twice earned the American Citizenship Award and won the Presidential Academic Excellence Award.

David Hernandez (Charles ‘Chuck’ McCarthy Award) – Won eight varsity letters at Bristol Central in football, basketball, and baseball – earning Colonial Conference League and All-State honors in football. Played football collegiately at UCONN and Mattatuck Community College. He also managed Forestville Little League Softball for eight years, leading the program to three District 5 Championships.

Bristol Adult Resource Center (BARC) Respite Program (Tony Savino Pay-It-Forward Award) – Chris Eaton directs this program, one which serves the participants by offering activities such as softball, dances, yoga, zumba, arts & crafts and bingo. These programs are enjoyed by many of the participants.

Doug Jackson (William ‘Bill’ A. Garrett Award) – All-State standout in football in 1970, he moved on collegiately at Columbia, receiving All-Ivy, All ECAC, and All-American honors while winning the Ivy League Player of the Year Award. Played four seasons of NFL football for the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants and later coached at the University of Pennsylvania and Columbia.

Tom Shopay (Ed Lodovico Award) – Played baseball under Clem J. Roy at Bristol Eastern and helped the 1962 American Legion baseball team to the state championship. He later played collegiately at Dean Junior College and was the squad’s Most Valuable Player over his two campaigns. Shopay played for the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles over parts of seven seasons between 1967-1977.

Bryant Lishness (Coach Dan Valerio Award) – Attended Bristol Eastern, competing on the soccer, baseball, track and field and wrestling teams. He is the director of the Gladiator Wrestling program, is on the board of directors for USA Wrestling in Connecticut and has been the head coach of the wrestling program at Eastern since 2008. His squads have won the last three Class L championships, earning Coach of the Year honors for his efforts during those scholastic seasons.

Bristol American Legion Baseball (Julie Larese Team Award) – Countless young men from Bristol have played baseball for the program, helping to team four Northeast Regional and 14 state titles over ninety glorious years and counting. The 1997 squad made a fourth place finish at the American Legion World Series from Fitzgerald Stadium in Rapid City, South Dakota. Several outstanding coaches took the reins of the program including Jim Bates, Jim Ziogas, and Spec Monico.

This year’s Bristol Tramps scholarship recipients are Mackenzie Pina of Bristol Central (Julie Larese/Frank Scalia Memorial Scholarship), Leah Policarpio of Bristol Eastern (Julie Larese/ Patricia D’Amato Memorial Scholarship), and Jade Udoh of St. Paul (Julie Larese/John E. Tavera Memorial Scholarship).

Tickets cost $50.00 apiece. For tickets and table reservations, contact Frank Owsianko at 860-302-4133 or owsianko@comcast.net, Dan Valerio at 860-490-5128, or Bristol Tramp committee members Kathy Archibald, Ryan Broderick Tony Carrier, Lance Chase, Chris D’Amato, Gary Fleming, Dave Greenleaf, Maryellen Holden, Beth Lafferty, John Lodovico, Mike Letendre, Larry McDonnell, Bob Montgomery, Sean Moore, Donna Papazian, Lance Pepper, Byron Pierce, Joe Tavera and Carolyn Ziogas

The Bristol Tramps celebrated their 49th year honoring some of Bristol’s best sports figures on Friday night. The AquaTurf was packed with family, friends and well wishers.  Here’s a few photos of the honorees along with a recap of the evening in Zack Carpenter’s article from the Bristol Press

 

 

The Bristol Tramps announce the award recipients and scholarship winners for its Apr. 26, 2019 recognition and sports reunion dinner. This will the 49th anniversary and it will be held at the Aqua Turf Club with dinner starting at 7 p.m.

The honorees are as follows:

Leonard Bagni (Chuck McCarthy Award) – He still plays golf at age 92 as a 68-year member of the Pequabuck Golf Club. He held the course record for many years.

Michael Beaudoin (Harp Broderick Award) – Baseball and basketball at Bristol Eastern, followed by baseball at Fairfield University. GHTBL MVP and was drafted and signed by Texas Ranger. Coached at Bristol Eastern and is an inductee of Bristol Sports Hall of Fame.

Bristol Central 2010 cross country team (Julie Larese Team Award) – This team won the school’s first-ever boys cross country state title. Coached by Tamara Stafford-Kirk, key runners were Captains Mike Duprey and Connor Kelley, Jacob Eschner, Brendan Gonsalves, Spencer Johnson, Jake Mancini and Ethan Washburn.

Bristol Central Unified Sports – (Tony Savino “Pay it Forward” Award) – Named in honor of the late executive director of the Tramps, Tony’s philosophy of “paying it forward” is a concept that he endorsed to many local organizations. It is given to deserving sports organizations or charity.

Joe DeFillippi (Bill Garrett Award) – Football, basketball and baseball at Bristol Central, where he was a two-team captain. Longtime coach at the school who is a BSHOF inductee and Ralph Papazian Leadership Award recipient.

Phil Mannarino (Coach Dan Valerio Committee Award – Standout four-year, three sport athlete at St. Anthony’s before four years of baseball at CCSU, a captain as a senior. Went on to successfully coach high school sports.

Harrison McKinstry IV (Ron Choiniere Award) – A wrestling team captain and football player at Bristol Central, he was later injured in a construction accident that left him in a coma for three months before becoming wheelchair-bound. Years of hard work has allowed him to compete in long distance road races using his special customized racing chair.

Mark Monnerat (Ed Lodovico Award) – Coached 42 years at St. Matthew’s and St. Joseph’s schools. Assistant coach of St. Paul’s state championship team. St. Matthew’s team won state title and runner-up New England in 1981.

Jillian Sullivan – Lydia Bailey Jabs Award) – Four years of cross country, indoor track and outdoor track at Bristol Central, six times as a captain. All-State in cross country three years and one year in outdoor track.

The scholarship recipients will be: Pacifico Flores of Bristol Central (Julie Larese/Frank Scalia Memorial Scholarship), Aliana Rivoira of Bristol Eastern (Julie Larese/ Patricia D’Amato Memorial Scholarship), and Adam VanLinter of St. Paul (Julie Larese/John E. Tavera Memorial Scholarship).

Tickets cost $40.00 each and they, along with table reservations, can be obtained by contacting Frank Owsianko at 860-302-4133 or owsianko@comcast.net, Dan Valerio at 860-490-5128, or other committee members, Kathy Archibald, Tony Carrier, Lance Chase, Gary Fleming, Dave Greenleaf, Maryellen Holden, John Lodovico, Spec Monico, Bob Montgomery, Sean Moore, Frank Owsianko, Donna Papazian, Joe Tavera and Dan Valerio.

Friday, June 29, was Bristol Tramps night at Muzzy Field. In the tradition of its philathropic founder, Julie Larese, the Tramps hosted 35 kids from the Boys & Girls Club where the group enjoyed dinner and pregame activities followed by the game between the Bristol Blues and the Nashua Silver Knights. Fireworks were scheduled post game. While there, the gang dropped by Rockwell Park to check on the Julie Larese Memorial.