Memphis Grizzlies Forward, UConn Alum Rudy Gay is Chamber Role Model of Year

Role models are so important in the lives of young people, especially in these very complicated times.  Each year, the presents the Role Model of the Year Award to a deserving individual that has provided a great example on how to lead a successful life through his or her community involvement and professional success. 

Past recipients include former UConn stars Ray Allen, Kevin Ollie, Emeka Okafor, Caron Butler, Rebecca Lobo, Jen Rizzotti, and Tina Charles, former Dallas Cowboys star Roger Staubach, former New England Patriot Joe Andruzzi, former San Francisco 49er Chris Hetherington, former Houston Astros star Jeff Bagwell, and NASCAR Star . 

This year, we are proud to present the Chamber’s Role Model Award to former UConn star and current Memphis Grizzlies star Rudy Gay, who will serve as guest speaker and will be officially presented with the award at our member breakfast this Friday at the Crowne Plaza Cromwell. 

Born Aug. 17, 1986, to Rudy Sr. and Rae Gay, Gay attended Archbishop Spalding High School in Baltimore, Md. He has four siblings, one brother, Eric, and three sisters, Brett, Yozmin and Candace. 

In 2005, Rudy competed as a member of the USA Men’s U21 World Championship team averaging 10.5 points and 5.5 rebounds in eight games. 

During his time at UCONN, Rudy averaged 13.6 points per game and compiled a record of 53-12. He was drafted eighth overall by the Houston Rockets in the 2006 NBA Draft. In the 2011-2012 NBA season, Rudy averaged 19.0 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. 

Rudy is extremely active in the Memphis community and won the NBA Cares Community Assist Award in March of 2010 after helping to raise funds for St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. 

For five consecutive years, he has co-hosted the Staxtacular, a fundraiser that benefits the Stax Music Academy.  He has also hosted a holiday shopping spree at Target for three consecutive years which provides children from single parent homes in the Memphis area the opportunity to purchase toys and other gifts for Christmas.  He hosted the 12th Annual SportsBall in August 2009 in Memphis, a black-tie affair benefitting the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Memphis. 

Rudy also takes part in the Grizzlies annual Read to Achieve celebration at the FedEx Forum which focuses on the importance of reading.  Rudy has blossomed into a true professional since his time at UCONN and he is a fine choice for our 2012 Role Model of the Year. 

Join us in Cromwell on Friday for this great Chamber event. 

We are also very much looking forward to our next Member Business After Work Networking event which will be held Aug. 6 at the Water’s Edge Resort and Spa in Westbrook. This event will feature complimentary food and beverages and of course, unmatched networking. We are so lucky to have this terrific facility in Middlesex County and the State of Connecticut and we are expecting a great crowd in Westbrook next Monday night. 

Last week was another busy one in Middlesex County, full of great events and grand openings. On Wednesday, I was happy to visit , a new business that has opened in the former Remington Rand facility on Johnson Street in Middletown. Co-Owners Bryce Graskoski and Julie Raymond have a done a fine job with this cutting-edge workout facility and I wish them the best of luck as they join the Middletown business community. 

It was also my pleasure to visit John Houston at his facility, at the Remington site. This company is an example of a terrific small manufacturer that has moved forward, and continues to grow in these tough economic times.  We are all very proud of John and his team. 

Also on Wednesday, I visited the brand new 505 Main Street building. We all remember that day, 18 months ago, when word spread that the original structure had collapsed under the weight of heavy snow. The team at has done a terrific job and I was very impressed with the layout and the look of the new building. 

I want to publicly recognize the firm’s partners Mike DiPiro, Mike Sokolowski, Welles Guilmartin, Teresa Opalacz, and Chris Conley for the their perseverance and their professionalism throughout this entire process.  505 Main Street is back, and we can agree that this is a great thing for the City of Middletown. 

We are officially half way through the Chamber’s Summer Youth Employment Program as week three of six has come to a close. We have 80 youngsters working at 37 worksites in Middletown, three in Durham and two in Cromwell.  We continue to receive great reports from both our employees and their employers and we expect a strong finish to this very important program. 

Finally, I would like to note that there continues to be strong economic activity in Middletown and throughout Middlesex County. I have been very encouraged by recent meetings with Bill Warner, Director of Planning, Conservation and Development in Middletown, other key city officials, and municipal officials from throughout the county.

We are almost into August in Middlesex County, and the Chamber is on the move! 

For information on Chamber events, contact Jeff Pugliese at jpugliese@middlesexchamber.com.