Class of 2014

Wrestling became a big part of Dick Farfaglias life more than fifty years ago when he was a member of Fulton High Schools wrestling team. He was team captain and won first team honors on the CNYCL Wrestling League All-Star Team.

Ten years later, Dick was one of the founding members of the now 40 year old Fulton Wrestling Club and has served as its president for nearly twenty of those years. During that time, he also served as an assistant coach for Fultons high school team and coach for Fultons club teams. A believer in the old adage that summer wrestling makes winter champions, Dick was a fixture in the off-season wrestling circuits arranging clinics, practices and team competitions virtually year-round.

Farfaglia is also credited with giving the Fulton Wrestling program its championship veneer. He was the originator of the national award-winning annual Fulton High School Wrestling team poster series and the annual Fulton Wrestling video. He produced promotional posters and programs for home matches and tournaments - all of which brought excitement to the wrestlers, parents and fans and increased the number of kids on Fultons teams and the number of fans in the seats.

Also during this time, Dick spearheaded the creation of the Oswego County Holiday Tournament held on the campus of Oswego State; now known as the Ken Haines Tournament. The Haines, named for a Fulton Wrestler killed in Iraq, has become a premier event in local wrestling drawing many teams from outside Section III.

Dick served as executive director of the NYS Wrestling Coaches Association from 2002-2011 where he managed the campaign to expand and reform the NYS Tournament. He was one of NYWAYs (New York Wrestling Association for Youth) founding board members and was also a founding member of the Friends of Section III Wrestling where he developed and directed the highly successful Friday Night Lights Summer Wrestling Tournament.

Professionally, Dick spent 35 years in politics and government. He served as Director of the NYS Assembly House Operations, Director of Communications and Director of the Democratic Assembly Campaign Committee. In 2012, he was appointed by Governor Andrew Cuomo to the College Council at SUNY Oswego and he serves on the boards of St Lukes Health Services and Oswego County Catholic Charities.

Dick lives in Fulton with his wife, Jackie. They have three children: Dan, Rick and Joanna. Dan and Rick were members of Fultons 1989-1992 State Championship teams.