The inaugural Albert Lea High School Athletic Hall of Fame banquet is tonight at 6 p.m. at Wedgewood Cove Golf Course.

The event will be the result of over a year of planning and six months of deliberating over nominees.

The inaugural class features 10 inductees; two coaches and eight athletes.

The coaches include Leroy Maas and Jim Gustafson. Athletes include Tom Jean, Vinny Cerrato, Jeri (Domes) Porter, Jay Gustafson, Gary DeRoos, Greg Shoff, Ben Woodside and Clayton “Bumper” Westrum.

In addition to the 10 individual inductees, the Hall of Fame banquet will honor the 11 Albert Lea High School state championship teams.

All members of those 11 teams, who were able to be contacted, were invited to the banquet.

Plaques honoring those teams, along with the 10 individuals, will be placed at an undetermined area inside Albert Lea High School.

The idea for the Hall of Fame stemmed from the Albert Lea Education Association, Keith Fligge and Craig Ludtke.

The purpose of the Hall of Fame was to honor Albert Lea’s ex-athletes and raise money to reduce the cost of student participation in Albert Lea athletics.

Money will be generated from the banquet, which includes a meal and ceremony featuring Cerrato as guest speaker, a silent auction and golf tournament Saturday at Wedgewood.

Tonight’s events begin at 6 p.m. with a social hour and the meal to follow at 7 p.m. Saturday’s golf tournament begins at 9:30 a.m.