When Rick Knas died recently after a brief illness, the Hall of Fame lost much more than a board member -- it lost a close friend. Knas, 52, who served as the first Chairperson of the Athletes with Disabilities Hall of Fame, lost his battle with cancer on November 9.

Knas coordinated all volunteers and the selection process for the inaugural Athletes with Disabilities Hall of Fame awards ceremony which was held in October of 1999. Due in large part to his contributions, the Hall of Fame received tremendous support and recognition that first year, enabling it to develop into a strong and credible organization.

In recent years, the long-time Clarkston resident and Vietnam War veteran worked as a barrier-free design and construction specialist at the Wright & Filippis facility in Rochester Hills.

"Rick was instrumental in the establishment of this organization," said A.J. Filippis, President of the Hall of Fame. "He worked hard and genuinely cared about the people we served. You can't measure how important we was to all of us here... he will be missed."