With school already in session and August having nearly run its course, gatherings over the Labor Day holiday celebrated community rather than the bittersweet end of summer.
The annual Mason Park Picnic attracted about 300 people on Aug. 31 to enjoy youth basketball games – most as spectators – and honor two community icons, the Fellowship of Afro-American Men (FAAM) youth basketball league and beloved volunteer Geraldine Sizemore.
A longstanding tradition in Evanston, the early autumn gathering focused on fun, food, and community from noon to 7 p.m. The festivities began when attendees set up tables, chairs and tents for the Annual Mason Park Picnic, hosted by Mason Park Players.
Throughout the afternoon, middle-school athletes engaged in hours of full-court, friendly competition, coached by FAAM. The tournament concluded with awarding of medals, then student athletes joined other attendees for an awe-inspiring picnic.
At 2:45 p.m., Sizemore and the Fellowship of African American Men were honored with Certificates of Appreciation for their ongoing contributions to the community.
Sizemore was introduced by Robert Reece, president of the Warren “Billy” Cherry Scholarship Fund, where Sizemore serves on the board of directors. The fund awarded $130,000 in scholarships this year to 23 Evanston Township High School seniors. He coached FAAM teams for decades.
“Gerri is such a role model in the Black community,” Reece said. “She does things the right way. There are a lot of people who serve on boards just to do that. Gerri serves on boards to help make a difference.”
His speech provided highlights of Sizemore’s deep commitment to her community. In addition to the Cherry Scholarship Fund board, Reece said Sizemore serves on the Levy Senior Center Foundation board as membership chair for NAACP-Evanston North Shore Branch, as a director of the Warren “Billy” Cherry Scholarship Fund, president of the VFW William Snell Post # 7186, as a member of the Top Ladies of Distinction-North Shore Chapter and as a member of the Foster Senior Club.
“In 1960, Gerri relocated from Abbeville, South Carolina, to Evanston after graduating from Josephine-Spelman Wright High School,” Reece said.
Since that time, Sizemore has become part of the fabric of the Evanston community. In 1966, she began a long career with the U.S. Postal Service, where she was promoted to a supervisory position in 1986. She served in that position until her retirement in 2003, after 37 years of service.
Sizemore’s church is Evanston’s historic Ebenezer African Methodist Episcopal Church. The church was established more than 140 years ago, making it Evanston’s oldest Black church, founded just weeks ahead of Second Baptist Church. At the church, Sizemore has served as a member of the board of trustees, in the Grant Missionary Society, Lay Organization, Repast Committee, Soup Kitchen and Scholarship Committee.
“We volunteer because we want to, not because we have to,” Sizemore said. “With this award, I am so humbled, filled with so much gratitude, my spirit is filled up. … This is the icing on the cake.”
FAAM President Omar Brown accepted a certificate of appreciation on behalf of the organization, which was established in 1968 to restore athletic activities to Evanston middle school students after Evanston-Skokie District 65 restricted its athletic programs due to financial constraints. The league began with four teams of Black boys. It expanded to include female teams, students of all races from Evanston and neighboring communities, as well as a cheerleading squad.
The organization is put together and coached by an all-volunteer group of Evanston community members. Signs with photos of the coaches through the years drew attention to the scope of the volunteerism that keeps the program alive.
As wife of a longtime FAAM coach, Patti Reece has watched the organization grow in size and stature. “FAAM has been a valuable part of this community for so many years,” she said.
Brown has served as president of the organization since 2022, after decades of service. He first served in 2006 as an assistant coach with a FAAM team named the Celtics.
Brown called for a moment of silence during the awards ceremony to honor the memory of FAAM co-founder William “Bill” Logan Jr., a community leader who served as Evanston’s first Black police chief. Logan died on July 21 at age 92.
Mary Helt Gavin contributed to this article.
By Heidi Randhava as published in the Evanston RoundTable.
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