NORTH BRUNSWICK – On Memorial Day, members of the Adams Athletic Club (AC) in North Brunswick dedicated a bench in memory of Phil Dellasala, one of the original club members who had passed away in February,
Rich Fabian, whose grandfather was one of the founding members of the AC, said that honors should not wait to be bestowed until after a person passes away.
So, a few months ago, the board decided to rename the club’s headquarters on Hartland Commons the Jimmy Grieco Building, in honor of Grieco, a 91-year-old township resident who is an integral part of the Adams AC.
“He works effortlessly on everything that we have here,” Fabian said during the surprise unveiling, which was held on Sept. 9 during the annual Adams AC picnic.
“He’s always helping out,” Joe DiPane said, noting that Grieco still volunteers at the annual Youth Sports Festival and for Pop Warner football. “It’s time we do something.”
“Thank you to all the members. I really don’t deserve it. I just like to help everybody out,” he said.
Grieco joined the U.S. Army Air Force in 1943, according to a proclamation read in his honor during an honorary street naming ceremony at the intersection of Arlington Avenue and Spring Street in April 2015.
He trained in Florida and Missouri before being deployed to California and Hawaii. He served in the 7th Air Force in Oahu, Hawaii, and after one yea,r was sent to the Marshall Islands to serve in the 20th Air Force.
He received an honorable discharge in January 1946, having earned a Good Conduct medal, Sharp Shooter medal, Air Force Wings, Marshall Island medal, South Pacific medal and Radio Operator pin, according to the proclamation.
Grieco is a life member of North Brunswick Volunteer Fire Co. No. 3; a member of the Knights of Columbus 11378, VFW 3117 and the North Brunswick Pioneers Club; and is a founding member/life member of the North Brunswick Adams Athletic Club.
Grieco had no idea the building dedication was going to be in his honor.
The history of the Adams A.C. dates to the late 1930s, when the Adams Taxpayers Association was established as a social organization for men in town. However, there weren’t enough volunteers because most of the men in the area had joined the military during World War II.
The women had formed their own social club, and a few years later the Adams Community Club broke off from the taxpayers organization, and included both men and women in their recreational activities.
The Adams Athletic and Social Club established its current form on April 17, 1962, by 29 charter members, and moved to its current location on Cozzens Lane and Hartland Commons in 1985. The original building was an old house that was expanded and converted so that the club members would have a place to meet, then-club President Frank Scordo confirmed in 2011 as the club was celebrating its 50th anniversary.
Located in the Adams section of North Brunswick, across from Sabella Park, the club has a rich history. The park itself is named after Pfc. Joseph Sabella, a local resident who was killed in Korea on July 18, 1952. A member of the club petitioned the governing body at the time to honor his memory with the dedication of the park in his name.
Since Sabella’s second division unit in the war was nicknamed the Indians, Pop Warner teams in town came to be known by the same name. The first teams took the field in the early 1960s at only the Midget and Pee Wee levels, with cheerleaders for both. Later on, the program expanded to Junior Pee Wees, Mighty Mites and Junior Midgets.
The club has met at three locations, which the current building sitting on land purchased from a township resident who had a mini farmers market on site, DiPane said. The church that sits at the corner of Hartland and Cozzens Lane was remodeled for the AC, but once the club expanded, the current building was built. The club also used to meet on the Malouf property on Route 1, according to Fabian.
Grieco is one of three of the 21 original charter members who is still alive. There are about 47 members, 20 of whom are active, plus 25 members of the Ladies Auxiliary.
Contact Jennifer Amato at jamato@newspapermediagroup.com.
