DALLAS, Texas – The Emory & Henry College Athletic Department received an Award of Merit from the National Association of Division III Athletic Administrators (NADIIIAA) for its 2011 Head Start Christmas Community Service Project. The award was presented this past weekend at the NCAA Convention.

“Emory & Henry has a robust commitment to service-based learning and our student-athletes, coaches and entire athletic department share that commitment,” said Director of Athletics Myra Sims. “This particular project is one of many in which our student-athletes participated last year but it is one of the best based on the reaction I heard from them after the event.”

The awards, co-sponsored by Jostens, are to bring recognition to the many contributions Division III student-athletes regularly make to their campuses and local communities. There are three different categories: One-Time Project, Ongoing Project and Array of Projects. Emory & Henry’s award came in the One-Time Project category.

Last year, 178 student-athletes covering 12 of the College’s 13 sports put in their time and money to help over 50 children from the Hayter’s Gap Head Start Program. The day featured the student-athletes meeting the children that they sponsored, giving them their Christmas presents and visiting with them and their parents. Santa Claus even made an appearance and welcomed children and heard some of their special Christmas wishes.

“Many student-athletes commented that it was particularly gratifying because they invested their own money to provide a gift to a needy child, and because they could see how much it meant to the child and their family when they personally presented it to them,” Sims continued.

The E&H student-athletes realize the impact they make on the community when doing service projects such as this. Then-junior baseball player Mark Robertson’s words could best sum up the event: “I think it’s amazing how much a small contribution from our student-athletes can make a child’s Christmas a memorable one. Days like this are ones that make me most proud to be an athlete at Emory & Henry.”

“I am so proud of the outstanding character of our student-athletes and their interest in participating in this type of event,” added Sims.

Below is the full list of winners of the 2012 NADIIIAA/Jostens Community Service Award.

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