To celebrate the 75th anniversary of Roosevelt High School this year, alumni and friends will hold a dinner to raise $500,000 needed to release a $4 million appropriation by the state legislature to improve the school's football stadium and auditorium.

The dinner is scheduled for Nov. 8 at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, Coral Ballroom, with cocktails starting at 5:30 p.m.

In conjunction with the school's diamond anniversary, Roosevelt will name the football field in honor of the late Edmund "Ticky" Vasconcellos, who coached the Rough Riders to three straight Interscholastic League of Honolulu football championships from 1955 through 1957 and later became the school's athletic director before retiring in 1965.

Vasconcellos will be honored posthumously at the dinner, along with three other distinguished Roosevelt educators — Juliette Nosse, Maydeen Minami and Ann Todd.

Also to be honored that evening will be the following Roosevelt alumni: the late John Bellinger (Class of 1941), Judge Karen Ahn ('64), William "Buzzy" Hong ('59), Margaret Awamura Inouye ('42), Danny Kaleikini ('55), Bert T. Kobayashi ('58), Malcolm Koga ('58), Bill Kwon ('54), Mike Lum ('63), Lynne Kimoto Madden ('66), retired Judge Marie Nakanishi Milks ('62), Larry Price ('52) and Dr. Benjamin Young ('56).

Because Roosevelt's football field is also used by McKinley and Farrington for their home games, the legislature approved $4 million for its improvements if outside sources raised $500,000.

The National Football League has agreed to provide a matching fund up to $200,000 under its NFL Grassroots Program for refurbishing youth fields, according to Keith Amemiya, executive director of the Hawai'i State High School Athletic Association.

"The NFL program is limited to the 32 franchise cities but also Honolulu because it hosts the Pro Bowl," Amemiya said.

The dinner's goal is to raise $350,000 or more to receive the NFL's matching fund and achieve the dollar requirement to release the state funds, according to Sen. Carol Fukunaga, co-chair of the dinner with Al Tomonari.

The money will also be used to support future operations of the school's Carter Auditorium, which will benefit not only the students but neighboring community organizations as well, according to Roosevelt principal Dennis Hokama.

Hokama said that athletic director Rodney Iwasaki first brought up the subject of naming the football field for Vasconcellos about a year ago.

"Having played for Ticky, I know what he did as a coach and an athletic director for the school," Iwasaki said. "But a lot of the kids today don't know what he did. I don't want him to be forgotten. It's the best way to honor him and I wanted to do it this year because it's the school's anniversary."

Hokama said: "We want to officially get it done as part of the 75th anniversary festivities."

Hokama is excited about the upcoming celebration dinner, saying that it's not only a good mechanism to raise money for the school's capital improvement needs but also a good opportunity to galvanize the alumni.

Tables may be purchased for $10,000, $5,000 and $2,000. Eight of the 10 diamond-sponsor $10,000 tables have already been sold and sales have passed the $200,000 mark in the first week since letters were sent out to Roosevelt alumni, according to Fukunaga.

Individual tickets are available at $200, of which $150 is tax deductible. Checks should be made payable to the Roosevelt Alumni Foundation. For more information, telephone Grace Poei at 535-5601.