Catasauqua Borough leaders are calling out to the community to come and help them celebrate the dedication of an updated basketball court in honor of the late Walter Winch. Winch, a member of the Catasauqua High School Class of 1970, was distinguished in the Basketball 1,000 Point Club and had basketball as a major part of the rest of his life. He died Oct. 24, 2022.

To celebrate his legacy and love of the sport, Winch’s family made a sizable donation to the borough to ensure future generations will also have access to and are able to freely play basketball at Catasauqua Park and Playground, 501 American St. Upgrades to the court include repaving and restriping of the court, new lights and rims, a commemorative plaque and more.

A dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony are planned for 6 p.m. Aug. 22 at the park. Members of the Winch family will take the first shots in each of the baskets to commemorate the occasion.

Community members are invited to stick around after to enjoy the next addition to the summer concert series — The Large Flowerheads — 7 p.m. at the park amphitheater.

The CHS Class of 1970 will also hold a reunion that weekend.

To continue the celebration, there will be a free-throw contest the next day, Aug. 23. Registration begins 9 a.m., and the contest starts 10 a.m.

This contest, offered free of charge, is open to all community members. There will be different categories for youth in second grade up through adults ages 55 and older. There will be medals awarded.

The event will feature doughnuts, coffee and other refreshments. Commemorative shirts have also been made for the occasion.

“We want to see a big community turnout,” said Candace Maxwell, borough administrative operations and community coordinator.

Borough Manager Glenn Eckhart joked they are hoping for a large enough crowd to run out of T-shirts.

“We’re trying to go all out,” Eckhart said.

Maxwell noted they are hoping to make the free-throw contest an annual event.

Winch was the fourth athlete to make CHS history with 1,000 points. He is credited with 1,396 points. He was the last male to reach that milestone until 1996.

Additionally, he earned Pennsylvania All-State High School Basketball Honors recognition, PSAC Basketball All-League Second Team honors in 1974 and was named to the top 500 high school basketball players in the country in 1970 and the Honor Lehigh Valley Basketball Team in 1969 and 1970.

He lettered at CHS in both basketball and baseball for all four years before going on to play on Mansfield University’s All-Decade Basketball Team in the 1970s.

After school, Winch served as a PIAA official for 40 years, including youth and college divisions. He was involved in training referees at the PIAA Basketball Official School, spoke at the PIAA Championship basketball clinic, served on committees for basketball officials and volunteered as an official for Special Olympics and Keystone State Games for 15 years. Winch also coordinated the girls games for the Mid-State Roundball Showcase 1982-84, scouted for Susquehanna Township High School 1979-82 and coached youth leagues 1993-97.

Basketball was not the only sport Winch embraced. He was a PIAA soccer official for 10 years and was a regional soccer coordinator for the Keystone State Games 1982-87. He coached and served as an official for a number of baseball organizations for more than 10 years and dabbled in community golf events.

Outside of sports achievements, Winch worked as a school psychologist in central Pennsylvania for 25 years and was the owner and operator of a Mail Boxes Etc. for 12 years.

The community is invited to come out Aug. 22 and 23 to help celebrate and honor Winch with fun and athletic activities.

“Come out to shoot your shot,” Maxwell said.