Richard J. Gallagher (2009) - Dr. and Mrs. Edmond J. Gicewicz Family UB Athletics Hall of Fame Inductees

Richard J. Gallagher

Distinguished Alumni Award
MSW 1969

Dick Gallagher has made a real difference in the lives of thousands, especially among teenagers, in both his profession and his avocation.
Since 1984, Dick has been executive director of Alcohol and Drug Dependency Services and its foundation, bearing the same name, which sponsors the Kids Escaping Drugs program and the annual fundraising telethon with WGRZ-TV. Proceeds from the telethon and other donation sources led to the creation of Renaissance House - the 30 bed treatment facility for boys that opened on the ADDS campus in West Seneca in 1990.
Realizing the role sports might have in the prevention of substance abuse, Dick, in 1983, founded the publication Western New York High School Sports; he recognized the positive role of sports in establishing teamwork and molding a positive regimen in young lives. The publication initially focused on football, but now includes several other sports.
Dick established the Western New York High School All-Academic Team, which supports more than 300 local scholar-athletes who are recognized and celebrated at an annual banquet that has become a staple on the local sports scene.
Dick was inducted into the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame in 2003.