Named in memory of the legendary educator, official, and coach Gaetano “Butch” Dellecave, the Dellecave Awards are the product of a highly successful 24-year partnership between local school districts in Suffolk County and the award organizers: the Economic Opportunity Council of Suffolk Inc., the Butch Dellecave Foundation, and Newsday.

Athletic directors from all 66 Suffolk County school districts were asked to nominate one male and one female from their high school senior class. Nominees must be students who are not only at the top of their athletic game, but also score high in classroom performance and in their commitment to local community service.

The Economic Opportunity Council of Suffolk, Inc. is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) community-based organization that has been serving Suffolk County since 1967. It is the county’s federally designated Community Action Agency, designed to assist low-income families and individuals. The agency’s mission is to promote a goal of self-sufficiency by broadening the minds of children, revitalizing communities, and assisting families and children in need through coordination of public and private resources.