Former McKinley, Ohio State stars from Canton return to 'give back,' honor deceased friend
Canton Outside Of Canton is growing, but the outreach group that includes former star athletes is a man short this year.
Canton Outside Of Canton (COOC) began in 2020 when Ray Ellis formed a group defining itself as "a group of men who grew up in Canton, Ohio and have reached personal and professional success in sports and business. We seek to give back to the community that provided the foundation for our success."
Warren "Speedy" Pyles, one of the COOC recruits, died in September in Washington D.C. He was 69. The third COOC food giveaway in Canton is being conducted in his honor Saturday.
Pyles was an active part of the first two, which furnished food to 3,000 Canton-area families. The 2022 event will be conducted Saturday at St. Paul AME Baptist Church, 1800 East Tuscarawas Street. Turkeys, hams and non-perishable food boxes will be distributed from 11 a.m. until supplies run out.
Ray Ellis was a star athlete at McKinley who went to Ohio State and started at cornerback for a 1979 Buckeyes team ranked No. 1 with an 11-0 record after winning at Michigan. In 1986, he started at safety for a Browns team that reached the AFC Championship Game.
Pyles was less known as an athete.
After his school days at McKinley, while attending Ohio State University, Pyles was among the first African Americans to serve as a page in the Ohio General Assembly. He became a businessman, family man, Shiloh Baptist Church deacon and life-long leader of the Zeta Chapter of the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity.
Pyles was a charismatic man who loved to dance. One obituary noted, "It has been said that he could perform James Brown’s moves better than James Brown."
Tributes from a Washington Post Legacy page included assorted phrases drawing out his character:
"A man of respect, integrity, intelligence, kindness, a dear friend to many, and so much more." … "Warren was the IDEAL neighbor." … "You were truly my brother and friend." … "You were an angel of peace and generosity." … "Your heart was large and your smile so bright." … "I got to see him at our recent class reunion. He was the same old Speedy."
Canton Outside Of Canton aims to make the food giveaway an annual event named in Pyles' honor.
As part of 2022 activities, a sponsor appreciation night social period is scheduled 5-7 p.m., Friday, at Starz restaurant in Canton.
COOC identifies its mission as assisting Canton in four areas, "basic needs, education, employment and financial literacy."
In addition to Ellis, COOC members include Randy Clark, Mike Doss, Antonio Hall, Phil Hubbard, Reggie Kelly, Kenny Peterson, Dr. Tiffany Polite, Ronnie Stokes, Troy Taylor and Charlie Weatherspoon.
Stokes and Taylor were McKinley basketball teammates who started together at Ohio State in the 1980s. Stokes remains in the public eye as a longtime radio analyst for Buckeye basketball. He planned to be on the call for Friday's game against Rutgers before heading to Canton.
As to COOC's ongoing efforts, Stokes said:
"The city has donated tens of thousands of dollars. Local business owners have donated money. It's been such a blessing to see all these companies get involved. I get emotional, man.
"I was a little kid running around on the streets of Canton. To know that people care about you, to remember how many people wanted to help me … this little bit I'm doing to give back. I just feel I owe Canton that Because Canton gave me everything.
"All of us feel that way."
Reach Steve at steve.doerschuk@cantonrep.com
On Twitter: @sdoerschukREP
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Ohio State basketball radio voice Ron Stokes in Canton charity event
