At the Nevada men's basketball game on Thursday, Kevinn Pinkney, one of the stars of the Wolf Pack's Sweet 16 team of 2004, walked into Lawlor Events Center.
One of the first to greet him was Dick Trachok, the school's emeritus athletic director and the encyclopedia of all things Wolf Pack during the past 60-plus years.
Trachok, 86, was a star on the powerhouse Nevada football teams of the late 1940s.
After a highly successful stint as a teacher and coach at Reno High School, he returned to the university as its football coach in 1959, then took on the athletic director duties in 1970, a position he held for the next 16 years.
Pinkney was still a toddler when Trachok "retired" in 1986 and took on the title of athletic director emeritus.
Lucky for us all, Trachok might be the world's worst retiree.
"He's an icon up there," said Dean Smith, 75, who met Trachok as a 12-year-old growing up in Reno. "He's been the athletic department historian of his own choosing. He's kept track the athletes going back going back into the 1940s all the way into the present. That's a remarkable feat and he's made a mission of that."
It's rare to be at a Wolf Pack football or basketball game and not see Trachok in the stands, usually with his wife, Fran, or other Reno old-timers, and it's even more rare not to see him approached for a handshake or a pat on the back from a former athlete or student.
"It's amazing to think of the lives he's touched in one way or another over the years," said Bill Daniel, who played football for Trachok at Reno High and Nevada and later served as a graduate assistant coach for the Pack when Trachok was coach.
Smith, Daniel and other friends think it's high time to say thanks.
On Feb. 12, "A Tribute to Dick and Fran Trachok" will be held at the Eldorado Hotel Casino to recognize the Trachoks "for their enormous contributions to the Northern Nevada Community over the past 60 years."
The testimonial brunch, which is open to the public, will include presentations by Gov. Brian Sandoval, Reno Mayor Bob Cashell, former state Sen. Bill Raggio, Wolf Pack football coach Chris Ault and university president Marc Johnson.
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The event will recap many of the Trachoks' achievements.
Dick Trachok, for example:
» Enrolled at Nevada in 1946 after serving in the Army Air Corps during World War II.
» Played football on the 1946, '47 and '48 teams. The '47 and '48 teams played in bowl games.
» Coached football and track at Reno High School, compiling a 70-21-3 record in football and winning six state championships.
Fran Trachok, along with raising the couple's three children, has been a teacher and a lifelong community volunteer.
» She served as a "Pink Lady" for many years at St. Mary's Hospital, working on numerous fundraisers for the hospital guild.
» She volunteered with St. Thomas Aquinas, Our Lady of Snows and other Catholic charities.
» She has been a champion of the arts, working to help the launch of the Nevada Museum of Art, serving on the Nevada Arts Council and promoting art programs in schools.
Tickets for the testimonial brunch are $25 per person ($12.50 for children 12 and younger) or $250 for a table of 10.
Doors open at 9:30 a.m. and the program starts at 10.
For reservations, call the Eldorado Hotel Casino at 775-786-5700 and mention "Code 12DT." For additional information, contact Chase Stigall or Amy Riordan at 775-954-4052.
Historic Reno
The first presentation of the Historic Reno Preservation Society's winter series will begin at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Mt. Rose Elementary School.
This month's topic is "The Evolution of Reno's Historic Wells Avenue Neighborhood."
Photographer Emily Rogers and research enthusiast Barrie Schuster will present the unique and colorful history of the Wells Avenue Neighborhood.
The Society's winter series events are free and open to the public. Mt. Rose Elementary is located 915 Lander St. in old southwest Reno.
Bighorns stand up
Friday night's Reno Bighorns game against the Rio Grande Valley Vipers not only gave fans a chance to see some great players in action, but also to help out the less fortunate in our community.
Thanks to the Bighorns, $5 of each ticket sold on Friday was donated to Catholic Charities of Northern Nevada for its many charitable programs.
Arts supporters
The local business development group No Riskers Inc. donated a portion of its 2011 earnings to three local nonprofits -- Veterans' Guest House, VSA arts of Nevada at the Lake Mansion, and the Northern Nevada Children's Cancer Foundation.
"Contributing to local organizations has been important to our group from the very beginning," said Mike Kitson, president of No Riskers. "We are comprised of talented local business owners who believe in and support this community."
The group's misson is to be a robust resource in which members can share experiences and best practices among like-minded business owners in an effort to strengthen local commerce.
Guy Clifton is a senior reporter. Call him at 775-788-6337 or email gclifton@rgj.com.
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