As person after person stepped to the podium Wednesday to laud longtime local basketball coach Gene Ammirante — this year’s winner of the Wheeling YMCA’s Dr. Lee Jones Patron of Youth Award — it became more and more evident how deserving he was of the honor.

Ammirante has spent nearly all his life in the service of Ohio Valley youth, in both big measures and small. It was the bus trips from Bellaire to Columbus for his young players to watch Ohio State men’s basketball games at St. John Arena. It was him approaching kids at the YMCA just to help them improve their jump shot.

Every story told Wednesday was another example of Ammirante’s love of and devotion to others, be it his family, his players or the children at the Y.

As Ammirante accepted the award, he offered the advice he has giv

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