In early 2012, Denson Hamby, T.J. Thompson, and Tom Hamby sat down to talk about something that had been bothering them: Fannin County had been turning out remarkable athletes, coaches, and teams for generations, and there was no place to honor any of them. That first meeting became the Fannin County Sports Hall of Fame — and grew into the twenty-member Board of Directors that runs the organization today.
The board met every month and built the whole thing from nothing. A purpose statement. Bylaws. Criteria for induction. A logo. A home for the Hall itself. Nomination forms for individuals and for teams. All the unglamorous work an organization has to finish before it can honor anybody.
By August 2012, we were ready. Twelve individuals and one team were selected as the inaugural class of 2013. From there the work turned outward — getting the word out, raising money for plaques and projects, and planning the county's first induction ceremony. That fall, the Blue Ridge News-Observer ran bios and photos of the inductees, week after week, through November.
On Friday, December 7, 2013, the inaugural class was introduced to the public at a Fannin County High School basketball game in Blue Ridge. On Saturday, April 13, 2013, they were officially inducted into the Hall of Fame.