Mark Pavelich was inducted into the Croatian American Sports Hall of Fame on October 17th along with nine other outstanding athletes: Fred Couples, Helen Crlenkovich, John Havlicek, Mickey Lolich, Roger Maris, Kevin McHale, George Mikan, Joe Sakic and Joe Stydahar.
The National Federation of Croatian Americans Cultural Foundation (NFCACF) presented the inaugural induction ceremony of the Croatian American Sports Hall of Fame on October 16, 2022 at the American Croatian Lodge in Eastlake, Ohio just east of Cleveland. The NFCACF is a nonprofit 501 (c) (3) organization dedicated to promoting the interests of the Croatian American community in the United States and especially in Washington, DC.
After cocktails, networking and music the ceremony began with Vedran Joesph Nazor welcoming the crowd and speaking about Croatians in sports. A Croatian dinner was served followed by the inductions.
Mark’s sister, Jean, represented him. “Host, Steve Rukavina, and his group did an amazing job at organizing this event, and House Speaker, Jerome Jurenovich, entertained us all night. The whole evening was special to me. My family and I are grateful that Mark received this huge honor.”