Chalk up another award for Don Friday.
Friday, the longtime sports editor of the Stevens Point Journal and a former sportswriter for The Portage County Gazette, was commended and saluted by the Wisconsin American Legion Baseball program for his outstanding contribution to that program.
Friday served as an ex-officio adviser to the Wisconsin American Legion Baseball Association Board of Directors, as well as the state public relations officer and a coach on the Post 6 American Legion baseball team in Stevens Point.
He was a major supporter of Wisconsin American Legion Baseball from 1968 to 2000, helping to secure the 1997 Legion's World Series Baseball Tournament at Bukolt Park in Stevens Point. He also helped promote Stevens Point's American Legion Firecracker Baseball Tournament and Bukolt Park as a site for the Legion's Great Lakes Regional Tournament.
On Oct. 13, Friday was inducted into the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame as a "Friend of Basketball."
He covered sports for the Journal from 1960 until his retirement in 1999 and then wrote sports stories for The Gazette, covering University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point teams. He suffered a stroke Feb. 26, 2000, at halftime of a UW-SP game and remains paralyzed on his right side.
His handicap hasn't stopped him from attending games though, because he's still a familiar figure at area games.