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CANTON, OH (October 13, 2011) – The Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce and Pro Football Hall of Fame have named two long-time community volunteers to leadership positions for the 2012 Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Festival. The world-renowned festival will celebrate the annual enshrinement of football players, coaches and contributors into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, “America’s Premier Sports Museum and Showplace!” Candy Wallace, long-time and extremely active community volunteer, will serve as general chairman of the Enshrinement Festival activities planned by the Enshrinement Festival department of the Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce. For the second consecutive year, Robert J. McFarlane, national sales director of outdoors products division for Bruce Foods Corporation of New Iberia, LA, will serve as general chairman of the Enshrinement Festival activities planned by the Pro Football Hall of Fame. [gallery link="file" columns="2" orderby="rand"] With the 2011 Enshrinement Festival just a few months behind them, strategic planning for the 2012 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 18 unique and diverse events over a nearly two-week period. The tentative dates for the 2012 events will be announced and available shortly at www.profootballhofef.com. The Enshrinement Festival activities, attended by nearly 700,000 people, are expected to produce an economic impact of over $30 million for the Canton/Stark County area and nearly $55 million for the State of Ohio. In addition, millions will experience aspects of the Enshrinement Festival as events are televised and covered by other media. With a record of success for the past 48 years, the Enshrinement Festival has earned its reputation as “A One of a Kind Celebration!” Wallace 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 has been deeply involved in Enshrinement Festival activities for many years, including serving in 2011 as General Vice Chairman, and prior service on the Fashion Show Luncheon committee, and chairman of the Food Committee and Enshrinees Dinner Committee. Elsewhere in the community, she is a member of the Aultman Hospital Women’s Board and provides volunteer service to Stark Community Foundation, Stark Education Partnership, Sisters of Charity, SPARK, Plain Local Schools and Leadership Stark County. She and her husband William reside in Canton and have four children and three grandchildren. 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, 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 2012 Enshrinees, the returning Hall of Famers and their families. He is a 20-year veteran of the Hall of Fame Hospitality Committee, and 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. He was also 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. While nearly 21,000 men have played in at least one National Football League game, there are only 267 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 2012 Class is announced Feb. 4 during Super Bowl weekend. The central focus and highlight of the festivities will be the induction ceremony for the 2012 Class of Enshrinees, tentatively scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 4, at Fawcett Stadium. Check the Web sites periodically for the latest information: www.profootballhofef.com or www.profootballhof.com.

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