Florida Crystals’ Sponsors Muck City Sports Hall of Fame to Celebrate Glades-area Achievements
Florida Crystals is proud to be the leading sponsor of the Muck City Sports Hall of Fame, which held a celebration for its inaugural class on June 5 at the Dolly Hand Cultural Arts Center in Belle Glade, Florida.
“This serves as an important and long overdue recognition for the talented individuals from this community who have achieved great things,” said Gaston Cantens, who represented Florida Crystals at the event. “It is important for us to celebrate, to show the younger generation in the Glades that you can choose success.”
The Hall of Fame is the culmination of the tireless work of the Muck City Project, an organization dedicated to celebrating the history and achievements of Glades residents. We were pleased to play a role in honoring the achievements of talented members of the community.
The Glades region of Palm Beach County, or Muck City as it is locally referred to, is home to more than 80 elite athletes who have achieved the ultimate success in football — playing in the National Football League (NFL). The Glades communities are a prime location for college recruitment, with local high school football programs among the most-watched in the nation.
But, the Glades are about more than football. The region has produced high-level athletes across a number of sports, in addition to notable figures in the arts and sciences.
The first class of the Muck City Sports Hall of Fame paid tribute to this legacy with the following inductees:
- Rickey Jackson, NFL Hall of Fame linebacker who played for the New Orleans Saints and San Francisco 49ers.
- Santonio Holmes, Jr., NFL Super Bowl XLIII MVP and former wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Jets and Chicago Bears.
- Jessie Hester, NFL first-round draft pick and former wide receiver for the Los Angeles Raiders, Atlanta Falcons, Indianapolis Colts and St. Louis Rams.
- Jimmy Spencer, former cornerback for the Washington Redskins, Saints, Cincinnati Bengals, San Diego Chargers and Denver Broncos.
- Milton Watson, longtime Glades Central High School football coach.
- Evette Lyman, basketball and track and field star and Glades Central alumna.
- Jerry Seymore, wrestling, member of the Palm Beach County Wrestling Hall of Fame named Wrestler of the Decade for the 1990s.
Lifetime achievement awards also were presented to Earl Poitier, actor; Clarence Anthony, former South Bay mayor; Janet Taylor, community advocate; and Willie Gary, attorney.
“Florida Crystals’ sponsorship for this community just tells you how much each one of these cities means to this company,” said Patrick Lawlor, a trial attorney and former professional sports agent based in Palm Beach County who served as the event’s emcee. “It’s an honor to have you as part of this first and honorable Muck City Sports Hall of Fame class.”