Bill Buchalter
1940-2021
For 40 years, Bill Buchalter was a sportswriter, columnist and regional sports editor for The Orlando Sentinel. His sportswriting resume included coverage of college football and their bowl games, Final Fours, NFL games, SuperBowls and seven summer Olympic Games. However, his passion and legacy was always high school sports in Central Florida. Bill was the ‘guru’ of college recruiting before Rivals and MaxPreps.
He holds awards of distinction from the Florida Athletic Coaches Association, and the National High School Athletic Coaches Association, and he is a previous inductee in four Halls of Fame: Florida Track; Golden South Classic; Central Florida Sports; and Florida Citrus Sports. He was inducted into he Florida Sports Hall of Fame in 2007.
In 2008, The Orlando Sentinel created the Buchalter Spirit Award to honor high school athletes who persevered through personal struggles while maintaining a positive outlook. Following his passing in 2021, his family established a scholarship fund for the recipient of the annual award.
Bill’s impact on sports in the state of Florida, and especially high school sports in Central Florida, is immeasurable. This scholarship fund was established to ensure that impact continues.
Donations can be made by sending a check payable to the Buchalter Scholarship Fund and sending to: Florida Sports Hall of Fame, 1051 Winderley Place, #307, Maitland, FL 32751 or by clicking the button below.