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August 9
Manny Pacheco
“Forgotten Hollywood”
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August 16
John Maceri
“Inside
Homelessness”
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This Week...
August 9
Manny Pacheco
“Forgotten
Hollywood”
Upcoming...
August 16
John Maceri
“Inside
Homelessness”
**Community
Service
Committee
Meeting
immediately
following
August 23
Tore Knos, PhD
“Update from
Sudan”
September 9
District Picnic
Redondo Beach,
Seaside Lagoon
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There was a lot of
excitement and noise before
the meeting today, as Tommy
Hawkins, famous Notre Dame
and Laker basketball star
pick-and-rolled around the
room shaking hands.
Though he’s way past
Medicare, he’s still very
quick for a big guy and
still rebounds better than
most poets.
PP Ron Lyster got us started
smartly with the flag salute
and Aly Shoji provided the
invocation.
PP Edwin Gauld
stepped up to lead us in
“God Bless America,” showing
us he’s still got the pipes.
Pres Dwight’s announcement
of the District Picnic to be
held September 9 at the
Seaside Lagoon in Redondo
Beach elicited the usual
amount of unabashed
enthusiasm from the crowd.
A few members are
planning to attend the
annual Literacy Breakfast at
Lawry’s on August 10—at
least those who can read.
PP Steve Day (Foundation
Chair) received a similar
non-response regarding
Dodger’s Game Night for
Polio Plus on September 15,
though he pumped the evening
event mightily.
Seems like a chance
to get on the infield is
worth a $10 lottery ticket,
so maybe we can get a couple
of cars going.
But all eyes were on Tommy,
so Pres Dwight hustled up an
intro and gave him the mike.
It turns out that
Tommy, who lives in Malibu,
is involved with many groups
and activities at UCLA and
throughout LA
and probably
qualifies as a Bruin even
though he was a two-year
All-American for Notre Dame.
He’s certainly
qualified as a story teller
as he began telling us about
his “glory days “ as a
Laker.
After starring in the
NCAA tournament for Notre
Dame (ND’s first
African-American star
player) and feeling like the
“King of New York,”
his dismal arrival in
Los Angeles was on a late
night Greyhound.
The Lakers had low
visibility in Dodger Town
(what’s a Laker?)
and had to send their
players out on buses with
loudspeakers to drum up
attendance.
When Tommy joined the
other centers for practice,
the coach quickly told him
he would now be a forward-a
position he had never
played.
Add to this the Boston
Celtic domination of the
Sixties, Tommy had a great
opportunity to develop
humility with the Lakers.
Once his playing
career was over, he was
hired by the Dodgers, where
humility was in short
supply.
He developed a fierce
competition (and friendship)
with Tommy Lasorda over 18
years.
When Hawkins
was recognized as
Notre Dame Alumnus of the
Year in ’99, he left the
beautiful trophy on
LaSorda’s desk when he was
out with a note saying “Top
this!”
The next day, Hawkins
found his trophy, face down,
back on his own desk with a
magnificent Commendation
from the Pope (to Lasorda)
placed on top!
Not content with the front
office and broadcasting
activities, Tommy has moved
on to completing a beautiful
“coffee table” book of his
own poetry and some
exquisite art—“Life’s
Reflections-Poetry for the
People.”
A lot of members were
happy to have him sign their
new books and happy to hear
his stories.
He’s a very talented
and likeable man who saw a
lot of sports history
unfold.
—YOE Dwight Heikkila
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