2002 Inductees

William ("Bill") Easson

All too frequently, many people forget that successful athletes and sports teams achieve their success because they have good facilities in which to play and have the financial resources to allow them to play. Those persons who ensure that these facilities and resources are available are as integral to any community sports program as the most gifted athlete. William ("Bill") Easson is one of those persons.

Bill deserves recognition in the Berwick Sports Hall of Fame for two major contributions: his long and continuous contributions to the Berwick Arena and his sponsorship of a number of successful Berwick softball teams. Bill has served on the Board of Directors for the Berwick and District Arena for over thirty years beginning when the present arena was built in 1954. During this time, he has served in many roles and assumed different responsibilities often working the canteen for virtually every event and doing whatever it took to support the arena and its fund-raising. Many will remember Bill for his diligent work in running the canteen for Saturday night wrestling - a major fundraiser for the arena. For several years, Bill co-chaired the Berwick Gala Days Committee and has worked in many other capacities throughout the years to support this important community event.

In the early 1970's, Bill and his brother Phillip, owner of Eassons' Transport, started their financial sponsorship of the major men's softball team in Berwick - teams that became to be known as the Berwick Eassons. This sponsorship has continued through to this century. Bill has always emphasized that the sponsorship of community teams should be local and that communities and local businesses should step forward and support their teams in this tangible way. Several players who played on teams sponsored by Bill have commented that the most important thing to Bill was that players should be local hometown boys. Winning wasn't the most important thing - playing was. Bill's sponsorship was not just a financial one. He and his wife Janet were the biggest fans of their teams and they rarely missed a game either at home or on the road. Many players remember this as one of the most significant characteristics that set Bill apart as a team sponsor - his genuine interest in and appreciation of the team's athletic achievements. For this support of community sport, we recognize Bill Easson with his induction into the Berwick Sports Hall of Fame.