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WHEREAS, Mickey McGrane has becoming a fixture of the Ninth Ward Youth Association and has had a positive impact on hundreds of children; and,
WHEREAS, following in the footsteps of his father, Mickey has coached little league for many years, using the mantra “play hard and be a good sport” in order to teach important life lessons that can be learned by playing sports; and,
WHEREAS, the Ninth Ward Youth Association sponsors baseball teams from Little League, Pony and Colt league levels as well as a flag football league; and,
WHEREAS, Mickey wears many different hats within the organization, from management to coaching, to serving as the groundskeeper for the Leslie Park ballfield; and,
WHEREAS, showing his dedication to this organization, it is not uncommon to see Mickey using his own vehicle to pull a raking device across the infields to ensure proper grooming of the playing surfaces; and,
WHEREAS, Mickey also volunteers his time as the coordinator of the St. Mary’s Holiday Basketball Tournament, a tournament started by his father in the mid-1950s at St. Mary’s Lyceum; and,
WHEREAS, St. Mary’s Lyceum has been the center of sports and recreation in Lawrenceville since 1913, where the facility serves as a place for social, recreational, and athletic events for the community; and,
WHEREAS, the tournament, one of the oldest and largest of its kind in the nation, hosts over one hundred teams from various schools in the Western Pennsylvania region and has drawn coverage from national publications such as Sports Illustrated; and,
WHEREAS, Mickey has done all of this volunteer work while operating a family business in addition to serving as the head basketball coach at the Community College of Allegheny County for over a decade; and,
WHEREAS, recognizing his dedication to his community, in 2003 Mickey was inaugurated into the Pennsylvania American Legion Sports Hall of Fame; and
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NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh does hereby recognize Mickey McGrane, the ultimate teammate, for his commitment and service to his community; and,
BE IT FUTHER RESOLVED, that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh does hereby declare Tuesday, July 18th, 2017, to be “Mickey McGrane Day” in the City of Pittsburgh.