Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Philanthropist Fred Darling still shocked he’s part of hall of fame class

Southern Nevada Sports Hall of Fame to induct five people, Fertitta family at Orleans Arena

Fred Darling

Courtesy Southern Nevada Sports Hall of Fame

Fred Darling (left) poses for a portrait prior to an American Legion baseball game in the 1980s when he coached the Valley High team. He coached them to the 1984 and ‘86 World Series.

When Fred Darling received word that he had been selected for entry into the Southern Nevada Sports Hall of Fame, the veteran local sports figure was speechless.

In his eyes, you see, he really hadn't done that much. His contributions were the result of simply doing his part to provide opportunities for the area's young athletes.

His legacy is defined by a $1 million donation to partially fund the Amanda and Stacy Darling Memorial Tennis Center. He also sponsored numerous youth baseball teams over the last three decades and led a group that brought the American Legion World Series to Las Vegas in 1998.

Still, he was shocked at being included.

Don Logan, the Las Vegas 51s president who is part of the hall's board of trustees, contacted his longtime friend with the news.

"I assured Don he had the wrong number," Darling said.

The 77-year-old Darling is one of six who will be inducted into hall at 6 p.m. Friday in a ceremony at the Orleans Arena. He takes a humble approach to the honor, saying the time and money he has donated is the result of his desire to help the sports scene grow in Southern Nevada.

"Fred is really a sweet, sweet man," Logan said. "Just a great guy."

Art Besser, a longtime American Legion coach who is presenting Darling during Friday's ceremony, recalled a summer trip he took Valley High's Legion team in the late 1980s. They spent 30 days away from home, traveling as far as Canada in the road trip of a lifetime.

"He probably gave us $20,000 a year," Besser said. "When we drove the kids to Canada that summer, we had to call him because the credit card was tapped out. He said, 'Here, try this one,' and gave us another card."

Fred Darling, who will be inducted into the Southern Nevada Sports Hall of Fame, is a retired Colonel in the Air Force.

Fred Darling, who will be inducted into the Southern Nevada Sports Hall of Fame, is a retired Colonel in the Air Force.

Darling moved to the area toward the end of his 20-year career in the Air Force in the early 1970s. A veteran of the Vietnam War and a retired colonel, he developed a passion for baseball through reading books during his tour in Southeast Asia.

When he returned to Las Vegas, he started by coaching and volunteering with Paradise Valley Little League. He eventually became the coach of Valley High's Legion team, leading them to a pair of World Series appearances — in 1984, they were the first Nevada team to qualify; in 1986, they took second.

His successes weren't limited to the baseball diamond.

He purchased a 7-Eleven convenience store on Oakey Boulevard, growing his franchise empire to five local stores.

Darling never hesitated in giving money back to the community. He frequently paid teams' league dues, provided uniforms and took care of travel.

Most local Legion teams rarely played out of state in the 1980s, but under Darling's vision, Valley's team was the first to hit the road and gain valuable experience against quality competition.

"We probably had the best Legion team west of the Mississippi," Darling said.

Darling, who later became Legion's Nevada State Baseball Chairman, enjoyed his trips to the Series so much, he formed a local contingent to bring the event to Las Vegas. In 1998, after much work and presentations, Cashman Field hosted the event.

With the support of the Las Vegas Visitors and Convention Authority and backing from Logan and then-Nevada Senator Richard Bryan, Darling was able to secure the bid. The Series typically is played in small, Midwestern towns, but Darling's persistence ultimately was rewarded.

"Through his efforts as a coach, and later as baseball chairman for the department of Nevada, he played a major hand in keeping Legion baseball going in this city," said Gary Mouden, Legion's local commissioner. "It was his direction and support that helped us land the World Series. That was a big score for us. At that point, a city of our size had never hosted."

The growth Darling helped orchestrate can be measured in the number of Las Vegas teams that have played in the Series. Affiliates from Green Valley, Sierra Vista, Cimarron-Memorial and Bishop Gorman highs have made appearances. Gorman won the Series in 2008 and has played in the event in three of the last four summers.

"Gorman's win in 2008 was really the frosting on the cake for me," Darling said. "It validated our program in Nevada. We were sending teams to the Series left and right, and that win finalized (our arrival)."

Darling's contributions weren't limited to baseball.

His $1 million donation through an endowment fund helped fund the Amanda and Stacy Darling Memorial Tennis Center on the outskirts of Summerlin in Las Vegas. The endowment primarily helps cover the cost of maintenance and operations.

The 23-court facility, the largest public outdoor tennis complex in Nevada, opened in 2005 and has hosted Association of Tennis Professional tournaments. More importantly, it gives the local tennis community a place to call home.

"You can't even begin to estimate how much money he has donated to various programs over the years," Besser said.

Darling's life hasn't been without tragedy.

In the months after hosting the Series, he was diagnosed with lymphoma, a form of cancer involving cells of the immune system. He beat the disease in 1999, surviving a near-two-year battle.

Also, daughters Amanda and Stacy, the namesake of the tennis facility, died in a traffic accident in 1993. Another child, son Ronald Darling, was killed in a separate accident — center court at the complex is named in his memory.

Darling surely will be thinking of them during his induction speech Friday night. Each of the inductees will speak for three to five minutes.

"I have prepared a little speech. I'm sure I will find a way to blow it," he said jokingly.

The other inductees include former UNLV basketball player Freddie Banks, veteran coach and official James Bayne, longtime UNLV public address announcer Dick Calvert and deceased baseball coach Ralph Meder. Also, the Fertitta family, primary owners of the Ultimate Fighting Championship and significant financial backers at Bishop Gorman High, will be inducted.

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