CANTON, Ohio, Sept. 7, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The Pro Football
Hall of Fame and Allstate Insurance Company today announced
"Hometown Hall of Famers," a national program that will honor the
hometown roots of the sport's greatest players with special
ceremonies and plaque dedication events in local communities.
"Hometown Hall of Famers presented by the Pro Football Hall of
Fame and Allstate" is the Hall of Fame's first nationwide plaque
program and will lead into the celebration of its 50th anniversary
in August 2012.
The program will host its first event today where Hall of Fame
member and national spokesperson Howie
Long will be honored in his hometown of Charlestown, Mass. The former all-pro
defensive end for the Oakland and Los Angeles Raiders will receive
the commemorative plaque at the Charlestown Boys & Girls Club.
Long spent countless hours at the Boys & Girls Club while
growing up in the greater Boston
area.
"Honoring the hometowns that helped create the foundation for
Hall of Famers' pathway to the Hall will be truly special as these
plaques will live forever in their hometown communities," said
George Veras, Pro Football Hall of
Fame Enterprises president and CEO. "The Hall of Fame is
pleased that Allstate has recognized the significance of this
program and given all of us – the players, their communities and
the Pro Football Hall of Fame – a chance to celebrate the hometown
stories of these legendary professional football players."
The Pro Football Hall of Fame and Allstate will host 10 events
in the fall of 2011, and will honor as many as 50 Hall of Famers in
their hometowns in 2012. There will be a plaque dedication ceremony
honoring former New York Jets quarterback Joe Namath in his
hometown of Beaver Falls, Pa., on
Sept. 12.
Other Hall of Fame members that will be recognized as part of
the program in 2011 include Bart
Starr (Montgomery, Ala.),
Sonny Jurgensen (Wilmington, N.C.), Barry Sanders (Wichita, Kan.), John
Madden (Daly City, Calif.),
Walter Payton (Columbia, Miss.), Roger Staubach (Cincinnati) and George
Halas (Chicago).
"To be part of a program that brings the prestige and tradition
of the Pro Football Hall of Fame to cities and towns across America
is an honor for Allstate, our agents and employees," said
Beaver Falls, Pa. native
Mark LaNeve, Allstate executive vice
president, marketing and sales operations. "Allstate is proud
to partner with the Pro Football Hall of Fame to keep alive and
protect the hometown legacies of some of the most iconic names in
pro football history."
Following each presentation, the plaques will live permanently
at a designated local venue in the Hall of Famer's hometown
community. In Charlestown, the plaque presented to
Howie Long will live at the Boys
& Girls Club, while the Joe Namath plaque will be on display at
City Hall in Beaver Falls.
In select markets, the former players will also have
commemorative "Hometown Hall of Famer" road signs displayed in
their hometowns.
For more information on "Hometown Hall of Famers presented by
the Pro Football Hall of Fame and Allstate," fans can visit
www.profootballhof.com.
About the Pro Football Hall of Fame Enterprises
Pro Football Hall of Fame Enterprises is a for-profit
organization established in 2006 to represent the Pro Football Hall
of Fame and its members in the creation of commercial ventures,
featuring Hall of Famers and the marks and logos of the Pro
Football Hall of Fame, for television shows, new media,
merchandise, sponsorships and events. Enterprise thus serves the
mission of the PFHOF to enable football fans and the general public
to have greater access and interactions with Hall of Famers and the
Hall of Fame.
The Allstate Corporation
The Allstate Corporation (NYSE: ALL) is the nation's largest
publicly held personal lines insurer known for its "You're In Good
Hands With Allstate®" slogan. Now celebrating its 80th anniversary
as an insurer, Allstate is reinventing protection and retirement to
help nearly 16 million households insure what they have today and
better prepare for tomorrow. Consumers access Allstate insurance
products (auto, home, life and retirement) and services through
Allstate agencies, independent agencies, and Allstate exclusive
financial representatives in the U.S. and Canada, as well as via www.allstate.com and
1-800 Allstate®.
SOURCE Allstate Insurance Company