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East Palo Alto honors longtime youth coach Raymond 'Ray' Askew
Summary
The East Palo Alto City Council adopted a proclamation Oct. 7 recognizing Raymond “Ray” Askew for decades of volunteer youth coaching and community service; Askew described starting local teams in the 1950s and later being removed from park operations, drawing praise from residents and council members.
The East Palo Alto City Council presented a proclamation Oct. 7 honoring Raymond “Ray” Askew for long-running leadership of youth baseball and community service. The council read the proclamation, which traces Askew’s work back to the 1950s and credits him with founding local T‑ball and pitching‑machine leagues and helping create the East Palo Alto Junior Giants program.
Askew told the council he moved to East Palo Alto as a child in 1957 and recounted organizing neighborhood teams at Jack Farrell Park. “I appreciate working with kids,” he said, describing decades of coaching, mentoring and community involvement. Askew also said he was removed from park operations years ago and that the change affected local leagues; he declined to name individuals involved but described parents pressing the city to bring him back.
Residents at the meeting praised Askew’s contributions. Public commenter Gail Wilkerson said the honorees are “the salt of East Palo Alto” and urged the city not to erase the legacy of long‑time residents. Council members thanked Askew for his service and joined him for a photo with the proclamation.
The proclamation is dated Oct. 7, 2025; the council approved the consent calendar motion adopting the item during the meeting.
