Anzalone & Doyle Trial lawyers is the proud to sponsor the 75th Annual Unico Charitable Football Game.
We will have bounce houses and slides for the kids and food trucks – fun for the whole family.
Date: Thursday, May 28th
Time: 6:00pm
Location: Wolfpack Stadium – 2021 Wolfpack Wy, Wilkes-Barre, PA 18705
Kick-Off: 7:15pm
Admission: FREE
100% OF PROCEEDS GO TO LOCAL CHARITIES | donations accepted
History of Wilkes-Barre UNICO All-Star Charity Football Game.
The Unico All-Star charitable football was first played in December of 1951. The game has been played continuously since that date honoring All Stars from each of the schools participating in the Wyoming Valley conference. The game has been played continuously since 1951 with one year being cancelled, that being the year of the Agnes flood in 1972, although the team was selected and recognized without a game. In 1974, two games were played in which the game was played and thereafter an all-star team was selected from both squads that played an all-star team selected from the Scranton’s Big Eleven Dream Teams. Additionally, during covid, the teams were selected but the game was cancelled and not played.
Historically, the game in the earliest years was played in December following the conclusion of the regular football season. However, for obvious reasons of freezing weather, the game was moved to August where it was played for many years, about two weeks before the players left for college football camps. Concerns that it was too close for their startup of college football, the game was then moved to June where it was played for many years, however, since the players were just graduating, and there were class trips, and summer jobs starting, it was difficult for the coaches to coordinate the practices and the decision was made to experiment with the game being played on Thanksgiving Day and Thanksgiving weekend which it was for many years. However, once again because of players having had other commitments, many of which were involved in district playoffs or state playoffs, logistically it was a problem for the coaches and in 2016, the decision was made based upon the unanimous opinion of all coaches to move it to the week following Memorial Day since that seemed to be the best suited date following the spring sports and prior to the high school graduations. In the past 75 years, more than 5,000 players from Wyoming Valley have played in this historic game.
Through the years, Unico has had multiple professional athletes serve as its honorary game chairman which would have included Dan Marino, Ron Jaworski, Franco Harris, Blair Thomas, Ken Stabler, Lou Michaels. Unico has also had many athletes who were selected to play in the game from the Wyoming Valley Conference who continued their careers in the NFL, which would include Greg Skrepenak, Rocket Ismail, Qadri Ismail, Ron Solt, Mark Manusky, Harry and Lance Hamilton, Quinton Harris, Bo Orlando, Ron Powlus, Mark Duda, Jim Cefalo, Bucky Greeley and Bruce Kozerski, Connor McGovern, Mark Glowinski, Julian Campenni and Dominick Deluca to name just a few.
Unico is the largest Italian American organization in the United States. The Wilkes Barre chapter of Unico dedicates its revenues derived from this game to local Wyoming Valley charities. The Wilkes Barre Chapter of Unico has averaged more than $30,000 per year in donations to various charities which benefit our local community and has since the inception of the game contributed more than $500,000.
Some of the charities which have benefited over the years include the following:
- John Heinz Rehab Hospital-Pediatric Autism Services
- United Way of Wyoming Valley,
- Dress for Success
- National Alliance on Mental Illness
- Luzerne Intermediate Unit 18
- Cooley’s Anemia Foundation
- Blind Association of Luzerne County
- The Care and Concern Free Health Clinic
- Wyoming Valley Challenger Little League
- Saint Joseph Center
- Wilkes Barre Family YMCA
- Pittston YMCA
- Saint Vincent de Paul’s Soup Kitchen
- Camp Cadet
- Volunteers of America.
In 2016, Anzalone Law Offices, now Anzalone &Doyle Trial Lawyers, has assumed the general sponsorship of the Unico game, underwriting 100% of the expenses of the game enabling 100% of the proceeds raised through concessions, donations and sponsorships to go directly to charity.
Since 2016, Unico has given a “Most Valuable Player’s Trophy” named in honor of legendary high school football coach George Curry. Since 2016, Anzalone and Doyle has given a sponsor’s award to an individual associated with sports that best represents the values of integrity and sportsmanship and has contributed to enhancing the value and reputation of sports in the Wyoming Valley.
The recipients have included, coach John Heinzes, the first coach at Wyoming Area, coach Ted Jackson, coach mark Duda, coach Marvin Antennas, coaches Charles Fick, John Joseph and Mike Namey representing the three schools that now comprise the Wilkes Barre Area School District, coach Randy Spencer, coach Rich Mannello and Stephanie Jalen who had distinguished herself as a Paralympian in downhill skiing.
This year the Sponsors award will be given to Marc Anthony Minichello, a Wyoming Area graduate, University of Pennsylvania and University of Georgia graduate, is a 2X NCAA outdoor javelin champion, Japan’s 2025 Seiko Golden Grand Prix champion and will be attempting to qualify for the 2028 Olympics to be conducted in Los Angeles, Ca.
To celebrate the importance of this legendary game, this year Unico is honoring Coach Vic Fangio, defensive coordinator of the Superbowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles, as the club’s “Italian American of the Year” and principal speaker.
The historic 75th Unico All-Star Charity Football Game will be played this year at the beautiful Wilkes-Barre Area High School Football Stadium.
