Sterling will lead the chairmen of 26 Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce committees, who hold in excess of 350 meetings throughout the year, to attend to the massive details of planning and staging several Enshrinement Festival events. She completed 18 years of service in various leadership capacities on the Ribs Burnoff Committee, most recently as chairman in 2011 and 2012. A graduate of Louisville High School, she also served on the security committees for the Balloon Classic and Enshrinement Ceremony Committees. A past member of the board of directors for the Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce, she is a past recipient of the Chamber’s Community Salute Award of Merit, and also a recipient of the Canton Advertising Federation’s Ad Person of the Year Silver Medal Award. She is a graduate of Leadership Stark County and past board member. She also extends her time and resources to the Aultman Health Foundation and Aultman Women’s Board, the Canton Blues Festival, J.R. Coleman Women in History Luncheon, and Ladies Auxiliary Post 7490. The mother of two, Sterling is married to Todd and has four grandchildren.
With the 2013 Enshrinement Festival just a few weeks behind them, strategic planning for the 2014 Enshrinement Festival is already well underway. The collaborative efforts of this leadership team, combined with the professional staffs at the Canton Regional Chamber and the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and the dedicated team of more than 4,200 extraordinary community volunteers, will ensure the success of the One of a Kind Celebration! The tentative dates for the 2014 events (subject to change) are available at www.profootballhofef.com.
McFarlane will lead the chairmen of 11 Pro Football Hall of Fame committees in planning and implementing other Enshrinement Festival events, including the central focus of the entire festival, the Enshrinement Ceremony itself, as well as the NFL/Hall of Fame Game and the First Play event. McFarlane also will lead the support committees that assist the Pro Football Hall of Fame in providing hospitality to the Class of 2014 Enshrinees, the returning Hall of Famers and their families. He is a 20-year veteran of the Hall of Fame Hospitality Committee, having served as chairman for 11 years.
In addition to his volunteer work with the Hall of Fame committee, McFarlane is past-chairman of the Enshrinement Festival Balloon Classic Invitational Committee, past-president of Wishes Can Happen, Inc., co-founder and past-president of Jackson Township Jaycees, JCI Senator and Ambassador, included in Outstanding Young Men of America, and retired football official after 26 years. He has been very involved in Jackson Township, where he resides and has served as a volunteer fireman and was involved in the formation of the Jackson Township Police Department. He is a graduate of Capital University with a bachelor’s degree in management. He and wife Sharon are proud of daughter Kelly and son-in-law Scott.
ABOUT THE ENSHRINEMENT FESTIVAL
While nearly 22,000 men have played in at least one National Football League game, there are only 280 members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame; this number will be increased by not more than seven and not fewer than four when the Class of 2014 is announced Feb. 1 during Super Bowl weekend. The central focus and highlight of the festivities will be the induction ceremony for the Class of 2014 Enshrinees, tentatively scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 2, at Hall of Fame Field at Fawcett Stadium. More than nine million fans have visited the Pro Football Hall of Fame since it first opened its doors on September 7, 1963, and the first Enshrinement Festival events were held that year. In the last 50 years, the Hall has expanded from its original 19,000 square feet to 118,000 square feet following the recent conclusion of its $27 million “Future 50” Expansion and Renovation Project. Likewise, the annual Enshrinement Festival has expanded from its original four small events to 19 diverse events over a two and a half week period, enjoyed by nearly 700,000 people and producing an economic impact of over $32 million for the Canton/Stark County area and nearly $56 million for the State of Ohio. In addition, millions of people experience aspects of the Enshrinement Festival as events are televised and covered by other media. With a record of success for the past 50 years, the Enshrinement Festival has earned its reputation as “A One of a Kind Celebration!” Check the Web sites periodically for the latest information: www.profootballhofef.com or www.profootballhof.com.###