The Pelham Board of Education voted unanimously Wednesday in favor of a resolution honoring the late Anthony Senerchia Jr. through a plaque which will be placed at Glover Field, as well as a ceremony the details of which have not been fully planned.

Many of Senerchia’s family members, as well as numerous Pelham students and community members, attended the school board meeting, though none spoke.

A movement was sparked in April 2019 to honor Senerchia by renaming the football field after him, in addition to a step already taken, adding Pelham Memorial High School football team number “44” to the turf field about two years earlier. At the time, many students and residents attended a board meeting during which they voiced their support for renaming the field. After giving back to the Pelham community and football program for decades, Senerchia should be appropriately honored, they said.

Glover Field is named for General John Glover, who is known for his military leadership as part of the Continental Army’s New York campaign. Historians say he saved the American revolutionary cause on three separate occasions, including during the battle of Pell’s Point in the general area of Pelham Bay Park.

Senerchia was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in 2003, just months after marrying his wife, Jeannette. Senerchia became the founder of the Anthony Senerchia Jr. ALS Charitable Foundation and was one of the creators for the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, which went viral in 2014. The result was over $200 million raised for ALS research. Following a 14-year battle with ALS, Senerchia died in 2017.

Senerchia graduated from PMHS in 1989 after being a standout football player. Despite his disease, he continued to contribute to the football community. He co-founded the Pelham Youth Football League, among other contributions.

At the Dec. 4 school board meeting, President Jessica DeDomenico said the board had heard support for renaming the field and not renaming the field, and stated, “the one thing that was absolutely crystal clear…(is that) there is no doubt that the board and the community would like to ensure that Anthony Senerchia’s life and legacy is commemorated at Glover Field.”

The board did not specify a date for the ceremony but it was explained they hoped to begin planning it with Senerchia family soon.