RICHMOND, Va. (WAVY) – Friday morning, WAVY Sports Director Bruce Rader was among a group receiving a huge honor in Richmond.
Formal resolutions were presented in both the House and Senate chambers of the General Assembly recognizing the incoming inductees of the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame.
The ceremony was held at the start of the General Assembly session Friday.
Bruce Rader was joined by several of his fellow members of the Hall of Fame’s Class of 2020, as well as the Class of 2022, and the Distinguished Virginian Award Recipient.
This comes as we are just 10 weeks away from the official induction into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame.
The first line of business Friday in the House was the introduction of House Resolution 32. That was by Del. Glenn Davis Jr (R-Virginia Beach) and the resolution was to recognize the newest inductees into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame.
“I am 48 years old. I grew up in Hampton Roads. I do not know any other sportscaster than Bruce Rader. And it is going to be kind of weird upon his retirement,” Davis said.
The seven inductees of the class 2020 will join Bruce and six others of the class of 2022 along with the 2020 Distinguished Virginian, in a ceremony in April. Due to COVID-19, there was no class of 2021.
And on the Senate side, it was Sen. John Cosgrove Jr. (R-Chesapeake) who introduced the inductees. He will remember Bruce as more than just a sportscaster.
“I can not think of a charity event I go to where Bruce Rader is not a part of it. Being the emcee or he is on the board of directors or he is setting up an event. Bruce is a really, really great guy, and really has a heart for Hampton Roads … And sports, obviously,” Cosgrove said.
Rader first joined WAVY back in 1976 to cover the biggest sports stories in Virginia — and 45 years later bruce is still humble.
“It is not just my accomplishments, it is the accomplishments of everyone at the TV station who for decades have gone out and worked hard and covered the state of Virginia, both in news and in sports. If this is my opportunity to represent all of them, I am very proud to be able to do it,” he said.
Bruce’s legendary career is coming to an end. However, you still have one more week to catch him on air.