January 12, 2007

Three ECACHL Athletes Among Hockey Humanitarian Finalists

The Hockey Humanitarian Foundation announced the five finalists for the 2007 Hockey Humanitarian Award and three of the finalists are from the ECAC Hockey League. Rensselaer senior Kirk MacDonald, Yale senior Kristin Savard and Clarkson senior Lindsay Williams will be recognized on their campuses later in the season for being finalists for this year's award.

The Hockey Humanitarian Award is awarded annually to college hockey's finest citizen and seeks to recognize college hockey players, Division I or Division III, male or female, who give back to their community in the true humanitarian spirit. Last year, Princeton's Eric Leroux won the award and in 2003, Cornell's Sam Paolini was recognized.

The 12th recipient of the Hockey Humanitarian Award will be selected from this group of finalists and named in a ceremony held in conjunction with the Hobey Baker Award and NCAA Skills Competition on Friday, April 6 in St. Louis, Mo., during the 2007 NCAA Frozen Four.

The other two finalists are Jody Heywood, a junior from Ohio State and Andrew Joudrey, a senior from the University of Wisconsin.

The finalists were selected by the Hockey Humanitarian Award Committee from a group of 13 nominees. Each of the finalists has exhibited a strong commitment to their communities, their teams and their studies. Along with MacDonald, Savard and Williams, Union senior Olivier Bouchard was also nominated.

For a complete list of the nominees and for more information about the Hockey Humanitarian Award, visit http://www.hockeyhumanitarian.org/.

FINALIST BIOGRAPHIES:

Kirk MacDonald, Senior, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Kirk has helped organize teddy bear tosses for charity, bagged groceries for seniors and participated in community skates. He has volunteered for City of Troy Turkey Trot. He has been involved with mentoring middle school students about the value of staying in school. He helped organize a season-long head-shaving campaign to raise funds for cancer research; the result was $11,000 being donated to the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Kirk has also helped organize a jersey raffle to raise funds for cancer research and has worked on the committee for the First Annual American Cancer Society Relay for Life which raised more than $124,000. He has helped in the collection and distribution of food to benefit local charities and is a volunteer youth hockey coach.

Kristin Savard, Senior, Yale University
Kristin created "Teaming Up" to raise awareness and funds for maternal health in Africa. She participated in the holiday gift initiative and also the Skate With The Players and the Yale Athletics Youth Days. She has tutored first graders and taught at local hockey camps in addition to participating in the Thomas W. Ford Community Outreach Committee. Yale is raising money this season to enable the women of the Keiskamma community in South Africa to participate in the UbuMama program, an arts-based initiative supporting motherhood education.

Lindsay Williams, Senior, Clarkson University
Lindsay was elected to be the President of the Student Athletic Advisory Committee (SAAC). For the past three years she has overseen the team's community service efforts. Every week, Lindsay, with four teammates, runs practices for two different local girls' hockey teams. She works with Helping Hands preparing and cooking meals for less fortunate families. The team has also worked with the "Adopt a Family" program in the past. Lindsay and her teammates are also involved with the Potsdam Elementary School reading program. She organized "Skate with the Knights", and has invited local teams from the surrounding areas to join their practices. Lindsay also leads the team to annual events like the Breast Cancer Walk-a-Thon, and the Santa Claus Parade Food Drive. Last year one of the Clarkson Men's former swimmers died of cystic fibrosis. Lindsay then organized a weekend 5-mile run that raised over $3000.

Jody Heywood, Junior, Ohio State University
Jody visits the local Children's Hospital once a quarter. She particpated in the Hurricane Katrina Phone-a-Thon which raised money for victims, as well as, the Schott-a-Thon, a Wish for Kids event. She periodically reads at the local school and is a volunteer at Race for the Cure. She spoke at Westerville Girl Power Day and helped at the Franklin County Youth Penitentiary Center where she was a volunteer with Youth for Christ to lead monthly chapels and meet with teenagers. She is involved with the athletes in action leadership team and has served meals at the YMCA for needy families. She also is involved with Habitat for Humanity and has spoken to youth groups for churches, as well as, aiding in classrooms of inner city schools with homework and supervision as an Urban Concern Volunteer.

Andrew Joudrey, Senior, University of Wisconsin
Andrew takes part in team visits to UW Children's Hospital and helps coach youth hockey teams in the area. He is a two-year participant in the 48-hour practice and a participant in the "Fore a Cure" golf outing. This year the outing raised over $41,000 for teammate Jake Dowell's dad and more than $9,000 for the Huntington's Disease Society of America, which funds research on the disease, for which the group says there is no effective treatment or cure. In the first semester he has spent 30 hours at the Boys and Girls Club. Joudrey was the recipient of the 2005-2006 National W Club Community Service Award.