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Many
throughout the area have benefited from the
generosity of Forrest "Frosty"
Sprehe and Ralph Sprehe. The
two brothers - who are this year's Centralia
Sports Hall of Fame's VIP Award recipients -
were very active in civic affairs and
providing funding for numerous athletic and
scholastic endeavors. The
VIP Award is presented annually to a person
or persons who are known for their
dedication to supporting athletics and
recreation in Centralia. "I
know that education and athletics were
always high priorities for Dad and Ralph and
with regard to that, they believed in
developing well-rounded individuals,"
said Greg Sprehe, Forrest Sprehe's
son. "Centralia was their home
and they felt strongly about giving back to
the community." Their
businesses in Centralia Cartage and Sprehe
Buick also sponsored numerous teams in
various leagues. Forrest
Sprehe served as president of Old National
Bank which sponsored numerous recreation
department and traveling squads. He
furthered opportunities through business
ownerships which also supported teams and
programs. In
addition, he served on Centralia's city
council, was president of the Chamber of
Commerce and member of the City Schools
Board of education as well as providing
scholarship funds at Kaskaskia College. Ralph
Sprehe was instrumental in the developing of
the Sprehe Fields baseball complex on the
east edge of town, which serves as the home
of numerous local teams and has been a site
of Illinois High School Association and
American Legion Baseball postseason
play. He also mad a donation to
construct the swimming pool complex at the
Centralia Recreation Complex and to improve
the Kaskaskia College campus.
"With
Dad, it was about providing opportunities,
especially for kids," said his son,
Bill. "When it came to a project,
he wanted it to impact the most people
possible."
Additionally,
Ralph Sprehe was a major contributor to the
Centralia and Kaskaskia College Foundations,
the Centralia Historical Society and
established the endowed St. Mary's Parish
Scholarship Fund at Kaskaskia College.
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