Comcast-Spectacor Helps Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame Kick Off Museum Cataloging Project

PHILADELPHIA, PA  -- The Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame has kicked off an unprecedented project aimed at cataloging the archives of local museums and sports-related organizations. Titled the Philadelphia Sports Heritage Collection, it is a cooperative initiative of museums, universities, professional sports teams and other organizations to provide digital access to source materials and artifacts related to Philadelphia's sports history.

Still in its early stages, the effort is staffed exclusively by Hall of Fame volunteers and student interns. During this current spring semester, Stepfon Wallace, a senior history major at Rowan University is interning at Comcast-Spectacor, cataloging archives of the Flyers, 76ers, Phantoms, Wings and Kixx.

"Comcast-Spectacor is excited to join the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame in kicking-off its Sports Heritage Collection project," said Comcast-Spectacor President Peter Luukko. "With the student interns working on this initiative we're able to connect today's young people with the city's sports history. This central database with Philadelphia sports archives should prove extremely valuable for student research and offers local museums a very efficient way to expand display opportunities."

Other participating organizations include The Atwater Kent Museum, LaSalle, the Philadelphia Athletics Historical Society, the Eagles, Philadelphia University, St. Josephs, Temple and Villanova. In the near term, the Hall of Fame intends to expand the initiative to include high school sports as well.

The goal is to create the most comprehensive catalog of artifacts, memorabilia and historical items related to Philadelphia sports.

"The Sports Heritage Collection is an ambitious, unique and collaborative initiative with local professional teams, museums and colleges," states Courtney Smith, Internship Coordinator for the Hall of Fame. "It is an ongoing effort to centralize, organize and catalogue the rich and robust sports history of the city of Philadelphia."

The Philadelphia Sports Heritage Collection includes all types of historical sports artifacts including printed materials, photographs, audio, video, old uniforms, athletic equipment and architectural items.

"This is a terrific opportunity to document Philadelphia's sports history in a central, digital repository for current and future generations of historians, students, journalists, authors and sports fans," continued Smith.

As the project develops, the Hall of Fame anticipates additional organizations coming on board and encourages private collectors to join as well. At this stage, the initiative is strictly a central cataloging and curating effort with all work done on-site and all items remaining in the owner's collection.

Further details are available at: http://www.phillyhall.org/SportsHeritage
For internship opportunities, to join the effort or for more information please contact Dr. Pete Georgelos at the Hall of Fame (Phone: 215.886.6657 extension 2 or via email.

Comcast-Spectacor (comcast-spectacor.com) is the Philadelphia-based sports and entertainment company which owns the Philadelphia Flyers (NHL), the Philadelphia 76ers (NBA), the Philadelphia Phantoms (AHL), the two arenas in which their teams play, the Wachovia Center and Wachovia Spectrum, four Flyers Skate Zone community ice skating and hockey rinks and Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia. In addition, Comcast-Spectacor is also the principal owner of Global Spectrum, the fastest growing firm in the public assembly management field with more than 60 facilities throughout the United States and Canada; Ovations Food Services, a food and beverage service provider; New Era Tickets, a ticketing and marketing company for public assembly facilities; Front Row Marketing Services, a commercial rights sales company; and 3601 Creative Group, a full-service in-house advertising agency. In a partnership with Disson Skating, Comcast-Spectacor annually produces 10 nationally televised figure skating spectaculars on NBC.

The Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame Foundation is a registered 501(c) (3) non-profit corporation. Founded in 2002, it is a member of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, the Pennsylvania Association of Non-Profit Organizations, the Maxwell Club, the Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums and the International Association of Sports Museums and Halls of Fame. For More information visit: http://www.phillyhof.org/PHILADELPHIA, PA -- The Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame has kicked off an unprecedented project aimed at cataloging the archives of local museums and sports-related organizations. Titled the Philadelphia Sports Heritage Collection, it is a cooperative initiative of museums, universities, professional sports teams and other organizations to provide digital access to source materials and artifacts related to Philadelphia's sports history.

Still in its early stages, the effort is staffed exclusively by Hall of Fame volunteers and student interns. During this current spring semester, Stepfon Wallace, a senior history major at Rowan University is interning at Comcast-Spectacor, cataloging archives of the Flyers, 76ers, Phantoms, Wings and Kixx.

"Comcast-Spectacor is excited to join the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame in kicking-off its Sports Heritage Collection project," said Comcast-Spectacor President Peter Luukko. "With the student interns working on this initiative we're able to connect today's young people with the city's sports history. This central database with Philadelphia sports archives should prove extremely valuable for student research and offers local museums a very efficient way to expand display opportunities."

Other participating organizations include The Atwater Kent Museum, LaSalle, the Philadelphia Athletics Historical Society, the Eagles, Philadelphia University, St. Josephs, Temple and Villanova. In the near term, the Hall of Fame intends to expand the initiative to include high school sports as well.

The goal is to create the most comprehensive catalog of artifacts, memorabilia and historical items related to Philadelphia sports.

"The Sports Heritage Collection is an ambitious, unique and collaborative initiative with local professional teams, museums and colleges," states Courtney Smith, Internship Coordinator for the Hall of Fame. "It is an ongoing effort to centralize, organize and catalogue the rich and robust sports history of the city of Philadelphia."

The Philadelphia Sports Heritage Collection includes all types of historical sports artifacts including printed materials, photographs, audio, video, old uniforms, athletic equipment and architectural items.

"This is a terrific opportunity to document Philadelphia's sports history in a central, digital repository for current and future generations of historians, students, journalists, authors and sports fans," continued Smith.

As the project develops, the Hall of Fame anticipates additional organizations coming on board and encourages private collectors to join as well. At this stage, the initiative is strictly a central cataloging and curating effort with all work done on-site and all items remaining in the owner's collection.

Further details are available at: http://www.phillyhall.org/SportsHeritage
For internship opportunities, to join the effort or for more information please contact Dr. Pete Georgelos at the Hall of Fame (Phone: 215.886.6657 extension 2 or via email.

Comcast-Spectacor (comcast-spectacor.com) is the Philadelphia-based sports and entertainment company which owns the Philadelphia Flyers (NHL), the Philadelphia 76ers (NBA), the Philadelphia Phantoms (AHL), the two arenas in which their teams play, the Wachovia Center and Wachovia Spectrum, four Flyers Skate Zone community ice skating and hockey rinks and Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia. In addition, Comcast-Spectacor is also the principal owner of Global Spectrum, the fastest growing firm in the public assembly management field with more than 60 facilities throughout the United States and Canada; Ovations Food Services, a food and beverage service provider; New Era Tickets, a ticketing and marketing company for public assembly facilities; Front Row Marketing Services, a commercial rights sales company; and 3601 Creative Group, a full-service in-house advertising agency. In a partnership with Disson Skating, Comcast-Spectacor annually produces 10 nationally televised figure skating spectaculars on NBC.

The Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame Foundation is a registered 501(c) (3) non-profit corporation. Founded in 2002, it is a member of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, the Pennsylvania Association of Non-Profit Organizations, the Maxwell Club, the Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums and the International Association of Sports Museums and Halls of Fame. For More information visit: http://www.phillyhof.org/