Surry County recently issued the following announcement.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
TO: Area News Outlets
FROM: Daniel White, Director
DATE: 10/20/2021
RE: 2021 Surry County Sports Hall of Fame and Ring of Honor Inductees
Surry County Parks and Recreation and the Surry County Sports Hall of Fame Committee respectfully requests your
assistance with advertising a very special program. Please contact Bradley Key at (336) 401-8235 extension 4 with
any questions.
SURRY COUNTY SPORTS HALL OF FAME AND RING OF HONOR 2021 INDUCTEES
The Surry County Parks and Recreation Department and the Surry County Sports Hall of Fame Committee would like
to announce the inductees for the 2021 class of the Surry County Sports Hall of Fame and Ring of Honor.
2021 HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES:
Mr. Donald Grey Beane
Mr. Rick Callaway
Mr. James “Butter” Cox
Ms. Sarah Ann Knott
Ms. Kari Karns Perin
Mr. Kenneth Shelton
2021 RING OF HONOR INDUCTEES:
Dobson Lions Club
Mr. Darren Lewis
The Unveiling of the Monument Ceremony will be held Saturday, November 6, 2021, at Fisher River Park in Dobson,
NC.
Below are some highlights about each inductee.
SURRY COUNTY
PARKS &RECREATION
Page 2
2021 HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES
Donald Grey Beane
• Surry Central High School four sport athlete 1964-1967
• Football – Varsity all four years.
• Member of 1965 State Championship Football team under Coach Howard Hayes. Only football state
championship at Surry Central High School.
• Basketball: Varsity all four years.
• Baseball: Varsity all four years.
• Track and Field: Varsity all four years: 100-yard dash, shotput and discuss. Held conference record in
discus and shotput during high school career. Ran the 100-yard dash in 10.1 seconds.
• Received Football Scholarship from Appalachian State University, unable to play due to knee injury.
• Played two years at Surry Community College, captain-sophomore year.
Coaching Career:
• Teacher and coach for 38 years at Carroll County Middle School, Carroll County High School, Surry
Central High School, and Central Middle School.
• Coached many distinguished athletes.
• 2001 Mountain Valley Conference Coach of the year (baseball).
• Softball Career: competed in in amateur softball leagues and numerous state championships.
• Hit over 1,000 career homeruns.
Rick Callaway
• Elkin High School Football standout from 1963-1967.
• Started as a Freshman full back in 1963, one of two freshmen to make the varsity team.
Awards: Honorable mention all-conference, and most improved player.
• 1,005 yards rushing in 1964, led team in rushing, receiving and points scored (77).
• A sophomore in 1965, he rushed for 1,350 yards, led team in rushing, receiving, and scoring, and
received All County, All Conference, and All State honors.
• Received at least 20 firm scholarship offers from leading football programs including ACC and SEC
schools.
• Was selected as one of the top 100 players in the state (Greensboro Daily News).
• Played in North-South Boys Game, named “Most Outstanding Back” (running back) of the game.
• Signed a four-year grant-in-aid to play at UNC.
• Shortly after signing to play football at UNC, he was offered the Morehead Scholarship and decided to
accept it and return the athletic scholarship.
• He played starting fullback on the Carolina Freshman Team.
• He also lettered numerous times in football, basketball, baseball, and track while in high school.
• Legendary coach John Charles later said the Rick was the best running back he ever saw.
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James “Butter” Cox
• Played baseball in the early 1940’s, third base.
• Led the Bears to 1942 State Championship in Football (Mount Airy High School).
• Played Postgraduate at Duke University.
• Duke Wingback for 2 years.
• Was a World War II veteran where he served in the United States Navy.
• After completing his military service, he returned to Mount Airy and served on the Mount Airy Planning
Board for 30 years.
Sarah Ann Knott
• 1988-1992 Mt Airy High School – four years varsity volleyball, basketball, and softball.
• 1990, 1991, and 1992 Volleyball all conference.
• 1991 and 1992 conference player of the year.
• 1990 Volleyball state championship MVP.
• 1991-1992 All conference basketball and All-Tournament team.
• Six times named WSYD player of the week.
• At the end of the 1992 season, she was the only Mount Airy High School athlete to win 12 varsity
letters.
• Graduate of Surry Community College and Appalachian State University.
• Currently teaching at Mount Airy High School.
• 1992-2006 Peewee basketball referee at Reeves Community Center.
• 1993-1997 High School Volleyball referee for the Northwest region.
• 1997-1999 JV Basketball and Volleyball coach at MAHS.
• 1998-1999 Associates softball coach at MAHS and MA middle school.
• 2000-2007 Associate soccer coach at MAHS.
• 2003-Present Head Volleyball coach at MAHS.
• 2016 Inducted into Greater Mt Airy Sports Hall Of Fame.
Kari Karns Perin
• Keri was one of the best multi-sport athletes to attend East Surry.
• She was a member of the State Championship basketball and softball programs.
• She played basketball for four years.
• Kari had never run in a track meet before; however, she demonstrated her athleticism by winning each
of the four events she entered.
• She was awarded a full scholarship to play basketball at Tusculum College and played three seasons
there.
• She also played volleyball one year while at Tusculum.
• She was All-Northwest 1999, 2000, and 2001.
• All-Western Regional 2000 and 2001.
• Career points 995 even though she only played three years of Varsity Basketball 1999-2001.
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• East Surry three-year record was 73-14 in basketball.
• Also played East Surry Softball 1999, 2000, and 2001.
• All-Northwest 1A Conference in 2000 and 2001.
• State Champions in 1999 in Softball.
• While playing volleyball at East Surry, she was on the Varsity team for four years and was named All
Northwest 1A All Conference 2000 and 2001.
• While playing three years at Tusculum College, she averaged 5.5 points per game and started 59 of 81
games.
Kenneth Shelton
• Attended East Surry High School.
• Was an All-Conference Basketball player at East Surry.
• Holds school record for most free throws in a career (264).
• Seven Times All Conference in three different sports
• Surry Community College basketball starter for two years.
• Taught at Dobson Elementary School for six years and his team won the first basketball tournament for
the 7th and 8th grade in 1981.
• Coached East Surry Little League and took his team to the Final Four tournament in Waco Tx.
2021 RING OF HONOR INDUCTEES
Dobson Lions Club
• The Dobson Lions Club has been a contributor to:
▪ Dobson youth basketball league for 30+ yrs.
▪ Dobson Little League baseball for 30+ yrs.
▪ Dobson Tee Ball for 25 years
▪ Babe Ruth League 10 yrs.
▪ Surry County Football League 10 yrs.
▪ Babe Ruth All Star 3 years
▪ Surry County Fall Ball 6 yrs.
• Has been a Banner Sponsor for Dobson Middle School, Surry Community College, Surry Central High
School, and Salem Fork Community Ball Park.
• Has been a major supporter of Surry County Special Olympics.
Darren Lewis
• In 2006, he received the NC Recreation and Park Association Innovate Program Award for creating the
Biggest Loser Weight loss program at Mt. Airy Parks and Recreation.
• In 2016, he received NC Recreation and Parks Association Special Citation of outstanding contributions
to the advancement of recreation and park profession.
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• Played a major role in 2020 designation for Mount Airy as a North Carolina Retirement Community
through Retire NC. One of only 17 communities in the State to receive this designation.
• 2020 in partnership with Tourism Development Authority, Mount Airy Parks and Recreation applied for
and was awarded the designation of being a NC Livable Community through AARP. 1 out of 492
Communities to receive this designation.
• Current Director of Mount Airy Parks and Recreation.
• Received $110,000 NRPA Youth Mentorship Grant to begin a youth mentorship program for
underserved and at-risk Youth impacted by the opioid crisis in our community. 28 youth have been
matched with positive adult role models to date.
• 2019, received $27,000 NRPA Commit to Health Grant that provides free swimming lessons, field trips
and recreation activities to Mount Airy Housing Authority Sites.
• In 2020, the Reeves Community Center Foundation in partnership with Mount airy City Schools
received an ELISS Grant for $65,575 that enabled Mount Airy Parks and Recreation to serve 969 city
school students through swim lessons, sports clinics, before school fitness classes, cultural art
instruction, lifeguard training classes, fitness stations and education story book walk.
• 2021 Reeves Community Center Foundation and Mount Airy City Schools collaborated on a $175,000
21st Century grant that funded a Summer Adventure Camp for underserved Middle School students
• Darren has been directly involved with development of Mount Airy Greenway system.
• He secured $30,000 grant to install 3 pickleball courts, new basketball court at Riverside Park in Mount
Airy.
• $350,000 PARTF grant for an extra 1.2 miles of greenway, three fitness pocket parks and water
hydrology pocket park for the greenway system.
• He is a major part of the Surry Basketball Officials organization. He is the booking agent for local youth
leagues and Middle Schools and is a certified high school official.
• Has trained over a hundred basketball officials in our area.
• He is a soccer official and board member for the Blue Ridge Soccer Association.
• He is Race Director for community events including Downtown Rocks and Runs, Shelton Vineyard’s
Running the Vines 5K/10K, the 5K on the Greenway, Mayberry Half Marathon/5K/10K, and Rosy
Cheeks 5K.
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Original source can be found here.
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