Boston College Named 2019 NACDA Community Service Award Finalist

CLEVELAND – Boston College has been named one of the three finalists for the 2019 Community Service Award, as announced Monday by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and the Fiesta Bowl. East Carolina University and the University of Texas at Arlington are the other two finalists.

The winning institution, to be announced later this summer, will receive a trophy for permanent display and $10,000 for its chosen charity. The two runners-up will be awarded a trophy and $5,000 each for their respective chosen charities. The award, which was created by NACDA and is sponsored by the Fiesta Bowl, recognizes outstanding community service efforts by NACDA Division I member institutions. It recognizes and honors an exceptional athletic department that makes volunteerism and community service a way of life.

BC's primary outreach extends to the great Boston area where the Eagles engage in several large-scale community service initiatives.

The Adopt-A-Child program connects BC student-athletes with 167 underprivileged children from neighboring communities. For over 35 years, the Adopt-A-Child Holiday Party has been the athletics' department signature community event. Each team is responsible for fundraising and purchasing the gifts for the children they adopt. All 31 of BC's varsity teams, as well as many coaches and athletics staff, adopted at least one child. While most of BC athletics' community service takes place on campus and in Boston, its annual service trip enables student-athletes to extend their reach beyond Massachusetts. Boston College has over 750 student-athletes. As a department, the Eagles completed over 4,500 community service hours at the end of the 2018-19 school year.

"Servant leadership is important to us as athletics administrators, but it is equally important to the student-athletes we serve," said NACDA Chief Executive Officer Bob Vecchione in a release. "Through the Community Service Award, NACDA and the Fiesta Bowl have highlighted the service and dedication of student-athletes on campuses across the country and the value these projects hold for the institutions themselves, as well as those in need. It is comforting to see that the future of intercollegiate athletics is in great hands with the next generation of servant leaders."

Boston College Named 2019 NACDA Community Service Award Finalist

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