Stephanie Albano, senior woman administrator, and ECC Commissioner Dr. Robert Dranoff
The Daemen College Athletic Department has been awarded the 2019 East Coast Conference (ECC) Community Cup, which is presented annually to the institution that records the highest number of community service and engagement hours per student-athlete.
The award was announced at the annual ECC Awards Dinner held on May 13 at Mercy College. As a recipient of the Community Cup, Daemen received a $500 grant to be used during the 2019-20 academic year.
During the 2018-19 academic year, Daemen student-athletes contributed nearly 3,700 hours to support the community. Almost 50 percent of those hours – a total close to 1,800 – were performed during the fall 2018 semester when Daemen ranked seventh out of more than 300 NCAA Division II institutions participating in the NCAA Team Works Helper-Helper Community Service Competition.
“Our student-athletes continue to embrace the concept of serving others, and we thank the East Coast Conference for recognizing the impact they are making in the community,” said Hailey Dietrich, student-athlete success and community engagement coordinator. “Community service can be more than just a singular act, and I hope that with the skills acquired here at Daemen, our student-athletes will continue to make a difference.”
Community service performed by Daemen student-athletes impacted more than 20 organizations or events, including Baker Victory Services, Children’s Miracle Network, Team IMPACT, Heim Elementary School, UNYTS, Oishei Children’s Hospital of Buffalo, Make-A-Wish Foundation, and the Daemen Center for Allied and Unified Sports and Exercise (CAUSE).
This marks the first time that Daemen has been awarded the Community Cup, and the fourth straight year that community service efforts of student-athletes and staff have been recognized. Daemen has twice been the recipient of the ECC Community Engagement Award of Excellence, an honor bestowed for a specific community outreach program. In 2016, Daemen was recognized for its work with Team IMPACT, a non-profit organization that pairs children with life-threatening or chronic illnesses with college athletic teams.
Last year, Daemen was honored for the development of its CAUSE program, an initiative that exposes children and young adults with disabilities to recreational and competitive sports. Daemen also received the 2017 ECC Cares Award, which goes to the athletic department that raises the most money for community causes.