Cox Recognized for Community Service Contributions

HAMILTON, N.Y. - On the ice, Ethan Cox (Richmond, B.C.) is a hockey player for Colgate University. Off the ice, he is a cross between a community organizer and a philanthropist.

It is for that second role that the rising senior from British Columbia, Canada is the current recipient of the Hamilton Business Alliance's (HBA) Community Service Award. The award is given each quarter in recognition of local residents' work in making Hamilton a better place.

Since arriving at Colgate in 2006, Cox has been a driving force behind the hockey team's effort to raise money for and awareness of a variety of a variety of good causes. Cox has organized an annual drive to collect toys for local children in need. He has also inspired his team to collect canned goods for the Hamilton Food Cupboard. The team has also participated in fundraising for cancer.

Cox said helping others is something that comes to him naturally. He said his parents set a good example for him while growing up near Vancouver. Now, at Colgate, he believes he has a responsibility to help out in Hamilton, a place he considers his second hometown.

"Community service and helping others comes very naturally to Ethan," said Don Vaughan, head coach of Colgate's men's hockey team. "It is something he and his family have always felt was important.

"The best part about Ethan's involvement in community service (aside from helping those less fortunate) is that he is not doing it for recognition but rather because he believes it is the right thing to do. He is not focused on one specific issue. Instead he sees an area where help is needed, he formulates a plan and reacts. He also has that special quality of encouraging others to help and to get involved.

"He is a very special person and one that we are very fortunate to have in the Hamilton and Colgate communities."

The HBA is not the only organization to recognize Cox for his community service. For the second year in a row, Cox was nominated for the BNY Mellon Hockey Humanitarian Award for the second consecutive season.

With some 75 members, the HBA strives to increase cooperation and collaboration among local businesses in order to strengthen and enhance the business climate in and around Hamilton.