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Dick Gallagher 2016^
Contributor
Section VI
Dick Gallagher is a 1959 graduate of Haverling High School. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Kings College in 1964 and a master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Buffalo in 1969.
Over the past 33 years, Dick has used radio and television as his platform to support, recognize, and advocate for Western New York’s student-athletes. In 1983, in order to provide a greater recognition of student-athletes, Dick began publishing WNY High School Sports (formerly WNY High School Football). He stayed on as publisher and editor until 2010. After the publication ended its run, Dick became a web producer with a concentration on high school football, a role he still holds today, for Channel 2 News.
In 1986, Dick began coordinating an annual high school football awards banquet, which has provided thousands of awards to student-athletes since its inception. He has also coordinated over 22 other banquets for boys and girls basketball, baseball, and softball, honoring student–athletes who excelled athletically and academically.
Dick spent 42 years working in the addiction treatment field. During his career he was a social worker for E.J. Meyer Memorial Hospital, Director of Rehabilitation Services and Executive Director for the Buffalo Area Council on Alcoholism, Executive Director for the New York State Council on Alcoholism, Coordinator of Alcohol Services for the Erie County Department of Mental Health, Executive Director of Alcohol and Drug Dependency Services, Inc., and Executive Director of Alcohol and Drug Dependency Services Foundation, Inc.
Dick’s community involvement is extensive. His service on numerous boards of directors and committees, his coaching positions, volunteer service, and role within his church are testaments to his selfless nature and commitment to the youth of Western New York. His past activities are too many to name, but one of his most notable achievements is creating the Kids Escaping Drugs Campaign. As such, an excerpt from a 2005 article from Living Prime Time best sums up Dick’s motivation for his work and service to others, and contribution to the Western New York community: “His avocation as a youth sports enthusiast dovetails beautifully with his profession. He explains it this way: ‘My two separate lives came together. My professional career has been in addictions and my labor of love has been in youth sports. So, when we opened up Renaissance House, we found that there were kids there that were not only dependent on drugs and alcohol, but some were also good athletes.’ As a result of treatment, these young people were able to return to their respective high schools and do exceptionally well.”
Dick’s list of awards and accolades are, also, extensive and too many to name. Ironically, however, Dick once told a Buffalo News reporter, "I'm a background person. Nothing I do is about rewards because God will give me my rewards. It's all about kids and doing good things for them.”
Dick resides in Williamsville with his wife Ann. They have 3 children, Michael, Christine (deceased), and Richard; and 7 grandchildren, Dillon, Morgan, Austin, Liam, Mary Claire, Mia, and Maeve. Currently, he is a member of the New York State Sports Writers Association, Ilio DiPaolo Scholarship Committee, Section VI Scholar Athlete Committee, Media Advisory Committee for the Greater Buffalo Hall of Fame, Renaissance Addiction Services Board, Jolly Boys, Buffalo News Large and Small Schools Football Polls, and coordinator of the WNY High School football banquets.
DOD 6/22/2020