{"id":29620,"date":"2008-01-30T09:26:58","date_gmt":"2008-01-30T15:26:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.uscho.com\/2008\/01\/30\/this-week-in-the-ecac-west\/"},"modified":"2010-08-17T19:57:09","modified_gmt":"2010-08-18T00:57:09","slug":"this-week-in-the-ecac-west","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uscho.com\/2008\/01\/30\/this-week-in-the-ecac-west\/","title":{"rendered":"This Week in the ECAC West"},"content":{"rendered":"
To Have A Humanitarian<\/h4>\n
Over the years, I have highlighted the community outreach in the ECAC West in this column. Every team has programs to get the players out of the rinks and into the communities helping on numerous community service projects.<\/p>\n
Now, three programs have been recognized on a national level for the efforts of their players. <\/p>\n
Humanitarian Nomination and Finalist<\/h4>\n
Two ECAC West players were among the 22 nationally, and eight within Division III, that were nominated for this year\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Hockey Humanitarian Award. Hobart\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Ryan Adler and Utica\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Adam Dekker both received the recognition for work they have done in the community.<\/p>\n
Dekker, a senior, has given his time on countless service projects during his four years at Utica including the Mohawk Valley Resource Center for Refugees, the Holland Patent Elementary School\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Reading Program, and America\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Greatest Heart Run and Walk.<\/p>\n
After being named a nominee on January 21, Adler became one of eight finalists for the award on January 28. He now will be interviewed by the selection committee and then await the announcement of the winner on April 11 at the Frozen Four in Denver, CO.<\/p>\n
Adler was inspired to do community service at Hobart after a conversation with Michigan State\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Drew Miller, who he played with growing up. Miller started an organization called \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Spartan Buddies\u00e2\u20ac\u009d in which Michigan State players visit pediatric patients on a daily basis on a rotation, playing video games and other activities to lift their spirits.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I was talking to him, telling him how great the community here was, and was trying to find a program that would fit,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d said Adler. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153We came up with Hobart Hockey Helpers and thought we could do community based projects, instead of just regular stuff.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Hobart Hockey Helpers is a name and logo that we use for all of our community service. It has given us some kind of identity,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d said Statesmen coach Mark Taylor. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Ryan came to me and said \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcCoach, I want to do something with my time\u00e2\u20ac\u2122. He was proactive and that is how we got here.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n