Avenue of Athletes
Adults Banks, Dengler, DeSabio to be inducted
Dengler, and Maureen B. DeSabio will join 13 students to be inducted into this year's Avenue of Athletes.

Banks

The event, which honors adults and senior student-athletes who have excelled in athletics, academics and in the community, will be held at 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, June 13 at the Amherst Pepsi Center, 1615 Amherst Manor Dr.

For more information, call 631-7132.

Agnes Attea Banks

Banks has been involved in sports and athletics nearly all her life.

A dance student of Norma Taylor and Jean Sharp, she opened her own dance studio after attending Cortland State College. She maintained the dance program, specializing in gymnastics, for nearly 25 years. During this time, she also formed a gymnastic team at Neumann High School and Sacred Heart Academy.

In 1960, her husband Don organized the Catholic Swim League where Agnes was a diving coach. She went on to coach diving at Neumann, Canisius High School, and Williamsville South High School. She also taught the "Learn to Swim Program" at Sweet Home, Cheektowaga, and Clarence as well as at Amherst Swim Club.

Dengler

In the 1970s, Mr. Banks formed the ECCO swim team with Mrs. Banks as his assistant coach. She later organized her own swim team in 1982 and continued to coach hundreds of Western New York swimmers until the Banks retired to Seminole, Fla. in 1997. Don died in 2003.

She also started her own business, Buffalo Swim Wear, which outfitted nearly all of Western New York high school and private club teams, and ran it until she retired.

David J. Dengler

Dengler has been involved with youth sports since the late 1970s when he was a coach in the former Eggertsville-Snyder Baseball League.

From 1984 to 1989, Dengler was an assistant varsity football coach at his alma mater, Amherst Central High School.

In the mid 1990s, he served on the Board of Directors of the UB Amherst Swim Club, a competitive swim team based out of the University at Buffalo.

A longtime active member of the Amherst Central School District community, Dengler, along

with former faculty member and coach, the late Robert Welch, helped establish the Amherst High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 1990.

DeSabio

Around the same time, Dengler co-chaired an athletic review committee for the Amherst district. The committee recommendations included hiring a full-time Athletics Director, expansion of the fitness and weight room, and construction of an all-weather track at the high school.

In 1995, Dengler was elected to his first three-year term to the Amherst Central School Board of Education and will complete his fourth and final term June 30, 2007. Dengler served as president of the school board from 2002 to 2005.

In the late 1990s, Dengler, along with seven other Eggertsville residents,

established the Eggertsville Community Organization,

an advocacy group for the an advocacy group for the Eggertsville neighborhood. Dengler

served as president from 2004 to 2005.

Dengler also served on the Amherst Senior Services Advisory Board from 2001-2004, and is completing his third and final year as President of the Amherst Senior Citizens Foundation, Inc.

A 43-year resident of Eggertsville, he is a funeral

director with Dengler and Roberts Funeral Home.

Maureen B. DeSabio

DeSabio has long been an advocate for the Town of Amherst Parks and Recreation programs.

Mrs. DeSabio served on the Town of Amherst Parks and Playground Committee where she was instrumental in many playground projects.

Mrs. DeSabio originated the "Neighborhood Parks Summer Concert Series", the Town of Amherst "Parks Partner Pro- gram", which involved young children in a caretaker role for Amherst parks, and the "Friends of Amherst Parks Photography Contest", where she organized an annual photo exhibit which showcased the many parks in the Town of Amherst.

Together with her husband of 34 years, Frank, the family was involved in Connie Mack Little League. Frank coached for 12 years and Maureen was able to write a grant to underwrite the construction of the instructional diamond at Sattler Field.

As director of volunteers, DeSabio coordinates volunteer beautification projects in the parks and oversees Eagle Scout projects involving the community's green areas.

She has served on the Board of Directors of the American Cancer Society, Arthritis Foundation, Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, and has been involved with the PTAs of the Amherst Central School District.