Athletics Captures Another Jostens Award

For the second consecutive year, the York College Athletic Department has been honored with the National Association of Division III Athletic Administrators (NADIIIAA) Jostens Community Service Award as announced by the organization recently. The Spartans, who were honored as the top institution for the category of Array of Projects and Activities in 2008, earned this year’s honor in the category of On-Going Activity. The on-going activity is the Spartans’ annual “Christmas with the Community” event that takes place each December.

The “Christmas with the Community” started nine years ago and has continued to grow with each passing year. The Spartans’ 20 varsity athletic programs are paired with 10 families from a York area women’s shelter. The teams “adopt” these families, purchasing gifts for the family members that these families would not have the means to purchase during the holiday season.

The event allows the families to meet the student-athletes, open their gifts, and participate in games that allow the Spartan student-athletes the opportunities to earn additional gift cards for their families. The evening also includes food and fellowship between the student-athletes and families at the Grumbacher Sport & Fitness Center.

The event is organized every year by the Spartans’ Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) headed by Assistant Athletic Trainer and SAAC coordinator Allison Kunkel. Kunkel is pleased that her student-athletes have been recognized for their efforts.

“The award for Christmas with the Community is a direct result of all of the hard work and planning the SAAC members put into it,” states Kunkel.  “It has grown over the last nine years into an event that that both families and athletes really enjoy. I like the event most because it involves all the student-athletes participation. It’s so great to all be together to brighten the holidays for those less fortunate. It has become an athletic department tradition and one that I hope will continue for many years to come.”

Assistant Dean for Athletics and Recreation Sean Sullivan knows that Kunkel deserves a great deal of credit for the continued success of the program.

“Allison and SAAC took this project and have continued to build on the quality of the event. It has become something that our student-athletes and the families really look forward to as the holiday season approaches,” states Sullivan. “It is very gratifying to see our student-athletes interact with people that are not as fortunate as they are blessed to be.”

SAAC president Scott Becker knows the event has a significant impact on the outlook of the Spartan student-athletes.

“It is very eye-opening to see there are people in need right in our own community,” says Becker. “It helps you realize as student-athletes the impact we can have in our own backyard. It also makes you understand how fortunate we are to have the opportunity to go to school and get to participate in varsity athletics. It is also nice to give back to people who are in need.”

Sullivan is proud to have the department honored by the NADIIIAA for the second straight year.

“We are certainly very proud of our community outreach,” says Sullivan. “We ask that our student-athletes serve as role models within the campus community and the York community. Our student-athletes have done a great job of being active leaders and providing our community with heartfelt giving.”

Sullivan believes the Spartan student-athletes continue to elevate their level of community activity.

“This award is for the Christmas with the Community program but I am also very proud of how SAAC and our student-athletes continue to give of their time and their energy to make our community a better place to live. It is very reward to see our student-athletes achieve in the classroom, in the field of competition and also in the community through charity and philanthropy.”

Other category winners include Amherst College for One-Time Project and UW-Eau Claire in the Array of Projects category. Also earning Award of Merit in the category of on-going project/activity is Salisbury University and University of Redlands while SUNY-Plattsburgh, Trine University, and John Carroll University earned Honorable Mention accolades.

The three category winners will be recognized, along with the 18 Award of Merit and Honorable Mention schools, in January by the NADIIIAA at the NCAA Convention in Atlanta, GA.