The Rattlers Athletics Community Engagement program has earned Medicine Hat College the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Community Service Award.
Terry Ballard, Medicine Hat College’s Sport and Wellness Manager, accepted the award at the 2019 CCAA Hall of Fame Banquet in Calgary.
The Community Service Award recognizes a CCAA member institution that has successfully developed and administered a community relations program.
“The Rattlers Athletics Community Engagement program is a great example of how student-athletes can make an impact in their community while networking and gaining skills and experience to last a lifetime,” said Michelle Ball, CCAA VP Sport Development.
Rattlers Athletics strongly believes in ‘Developing students, athletes and citizens’ and their program provides opportunities for the Rattlers to positively have an impact in southeastern Alberta and Medicine Hat, AB, while enhancing their student-athlete experience by promoting and fostering positive community relationships.
“Rattlers Athletics have always placed an emphasis on giving back to the community of Medicine Hat, with many volunteering and community service activities occurring throughout the years,” said Ballard. “The College believed in this as strongly as the Rattlers did, and this is the second year that we have a staff member in the Athletics department working as the Rattlers Athletics Community Engagement coordinator to lead this program.”
Rattlers student-athletes, coaches and staff are directly placed with community partners to provide a strong influence and impact in helping change people’s lives.
This season, more than 5,000 engagement hours were amassed by Rattlers Athletics.
More than 1,500 impactful partnership community engagement hours were accumulated with partners such as the City of Medicine Hat, Big Brothers and Big Sisters, Salvation Army, Chamber of Commerce, Food Bank, Women’s Shelter as well as local senior residences, school districts and youth sport organizations.
In addition, more than 3,500 community engagement hours were collected with coaching at junior and high schools, working Rattlers Booster Club bingos and volunteering at the 2018 CCAA Golf National Championships, hosted by Medicine Hat College at Desert Blume Golf Course.
In total, 94 student-athletes from Medicine Hat College volunteered this season. Among the exceptional student-athletes were Derek Whitson (160 hours volunteered), Emily Weimer (72), Molly Marie (60), Devin Simmons (44) and Kassidy Suberlak (37).
