Coonelly to be honored by Chuck Cooper Foundation

By Tom Singer

November 22, 2013

PITTSBURGH -- President Frank Coonelly will accept the club's award for a commitment to assist minorities at the annual Chuck Cooper Awards Luncheon.

The luncheon, on Feb. 18 at the Lexus Club of PNC Park, will be hosted by the Chuck Cooper Foundation, organized in 2011 to honor the former Duquesne basketball standout who in 1950 became the first African-American player drafted by an NBA team (Boston).

Previous winners of the award -- formerly called the Chuck Cooper Career Achievement in Leadership, Diversity and Community Service Award -- are longtime Steelers scout Bill Nunn Jr. (2011), Bill Strickland of the Manchester Craftsmen's Guild (2012), and Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin and his wife, Kiya (2013).

For more information about luncheon sponsorship or ticket purchases, visit www.chuckcooperfoundation.org.

Tom Singer is a reporter for MLB.com and writes an MLBlog Change for a Nickel. He can also be found on Twitter @Tom_Singer.