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Gallaudet Assistant AD for Communications Sam Atkinson is a man of service. He epitomizes a community service/charitable events organizer. This makes him richly deserving of CoSIDA's 2014 Bob Kenworthy Community Service Award.
This award is presented annually to a COSIDA member for civic involvement and accomplishments outside of the sports information office. It is named for the late Kenworthy, a COSIDA Hall of Famer, who served as SID at Gettysburg College and was the first recipient of the honor.
Atkinson, the chair of CoSIDA’s Goodwill and Wellness Committee since 2008, is concluding his fifth year at NCAA Division III Gallaudet University. He previously served a three-year tenure as SID at Salisbury University, his alma mater.
In 2010, Atkinson led the charge to make community service an integral part of CoSIDA’s annual convention. Atkinson works with local non-profits in each city, choosing the organization and coordinating donations and volunteer hours. CoSIDA convention attendees donate clothing, money a
nd toiletries to distribute to the non-profits.
Through these efforts, CoSIDA is now a national model in community service projects and fundraising for non-profits in convention cities.
Under his direction, the Goodwill and Wellness Committee has flourished with new ideas and a new identity. Originally
called the Goodwill Committee, Atkinson worked to expand the
committee’s scope to emphasize health and wellness issues for CoSIDA members, hosting continuing education webinars and convention panels on the subject. He also developed a new branding identity of “CoSIDA Cares.”
It also was Atkinson’s idea to hold CoSIDA's first-ever 5K run/walk at Marco Island, Fla. where nearly 100 people participated in the friendly competition and over $1,600 and hundreds of clothing items were donated to the St. Matthew's House in Naples, Fla.
CoSIDA was the first national association in intercollegiate athletics to host such an event for its convention attendees. The 5k draws an average of 115 participants per year and has raised nearly $4,000 since 2011.
Due to the popularity and health-benefits of the CoSIDA 5K, the NCAA and NACDA have recently introduced their own 5K convention events. (CoSIDA and NACDA are combining 5K’s this June.)
Collaboration and relationship-building are two of Atkinson’s strengths. A few years ago, he reached out to the Young CoSIDA (YC) social group to partner on convention fundraising efforts. Impressively, the YC raffles have raised another $8,700 for the CoSIDA charities of choice.
Since 2010, nearly $13,000 has been raised. Hundreds of pounds of clothing and toiletries and personal items have been donated.
There have been 82 CoSIDA participants in the “CoSIDA Cares” convention outreaches, totaling 213 volunteer hours.
When notified of his Kenworthy recognition, Atkinson stated that “I am really humbled and honored to receive the Kenworthy Award and
want to share this honor with my
hard-working committee. It means a lot to know all of the hard work, over the years, with the CoSIDA Goodwill and Wellness Committee, hasn't gone unnoticed. The committee has come so far since 2007, when it was only Ryan Klinkner (Saint John's Minn.) and I taking over the dormant charity committee.
“This honor wouldn't be possible without the diligent help of our dedicated committee members. We continue to expand what we can offer to our membership as we try to get SIDs active, healthy and giving back to their communities. It’s a trend we hope continues for many, many years as we all show that ‘CoSIDA Cares’," Atkinson concluded.
Atkinson’s work at Gallaudet, the nation's deaf and hard of hearing university, does not go unnoticed either. In June 2013, he was promoted to Assistant Athletic Director for Communications after serving as SID for four years.
“On behalf of Gallaudet University and our athletic department, I extend our congratulations to Sam for his Kenworthy Award honor which acknowledges his great service to CoSIDA and to our community as well,” noted Michael Weinstock, Gallaudet Athletic Director. “We are extremely proud of Sam and his work on our campus and in the community. He is an extraordinary young sports information professional and leader.”
Atkinson has orchestrated four CoSIDA service projects in San Antonio (2009) with the San Antonio Food Bank, in San Francisco (2010) with the St. Anthony Foundation, in St. Louis (2012) with the St. Patrick Center and in Orlando (2013) with the Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida, hosting a special “water play day” for the families in need.
Quoted in a San Francisco media outlet, Atkinson summed up CoSIDA's initial volunteer efforts at St. Anthony’s: “We felt several years ago it was important for us to step out from the shadows and roll up our sleeves and help out local charities in the cities that host our annual convention. We want to show that CoSIDA is vested in our host city and that we lead by example when it comes to giving back.”
“I was very impressed with Sam’s coordination and passion when he reached out to us last year,” said Marty Vevera, Director of Volunteer Services for the Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida. “When Sam told me that CoSIDA was holding a 5K and would donate all entry fees to the Coalition, that was indeed a first for us to have a third party event held by the group that would be volunteering later that day. CoSIDA underwrote the costs of the water slides and toys and provided pizza for all of the residents and, to top it off, handed me a generous monetary donation for the Coalition! The CoSIDA group was so full of energy and ready to play with the kids! It was a great day for all.”
“We are so thankful that CoSIDA will be returning in June to volunteer again,” Vevera noted. “Activities like a water day allow our youngest residents to take their minds off their families crisis of homelessness and enjoy just being kids. We are blessed that Sam and the CoSIDA members choose to serve at our agency.”
“I admire how Sam balances so many things,” said Weinstock. “He handles our sports information duties on his own, raises a young family and just finished his master’s degree. He makes time to volunteer. And, CoSIDA is certainly a national leader with its community service efforts that he helps organize.”
Atkinson focused on community service at a young age, and his interest and passion to “give back” has grown steadily. In middle school in the early 1990’s, Sam organized and began the first school-wide recycling program before recycling became the "in" thing. An Eagle Scout, he spent summers at the Philmont Scout Ranch (N.M.), doing trail work and environmental awareness volunteer projects.
While at Salisbury, he got involved in the Salisbury University Best Buddies chapter, a global volunteer movement that creates friendships with people who have intellectual and developmental disabilities.
“I learned at a young age to be more open and accepting of others, especially those with disabilities,” Atkinson noted. “A neighbor of mine growing up had IDD and he didn't have many friends so we would hang out a lot and became good friends. That relationship, along with scouting, laid the foundation for
me to want to help others and give of my time.”
Now, Atkinson serves as a volunteer at his church, St. John’s Episcopal. He is building a partnership between a group of Georgetown University interns and Gallaudet student workers who will volunteer monthly at local D.C. charities.
Professionally, Atkinson has helped Gallaudet gain national attention and acclaim on numerous occasions. In 2010, the foo
tball team had a miraculous interception video go viral on YouTube with over a million hits in two days and was featured on ESPN College Gameday’s Plays of the Year. The 2011 baseball team was featured in
ESPN the Magazine. In April 2010, Atkinson was part of the Gallaudet athletic contingent who met President Barack Obama, Vice-President Joe Biden and U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan at the White House during a special Title IX announcement.
At Salisbury, Atkinson was recognized with the 2007
Inside Lacrosse Division III Women's Lacrosse Media Service Award and the 2009 American Volleyball Coaches Association
(AVCA) Grant Burger Media Award as the top Division III regional SID.
After earning his B.A. in communication arts from Salisbury in 2000, Atkinson somehow found the time to study for a master’s degree the past few years. He completed his master's degree in sports industry management at Georgetown University in December 2013 and wrote his thesis on "Lost in the noise: The injustice deaf and hard of hearing fans experience at collegiate arenas."
Sam also has studied American Sign Language (ASL) the last five years in order to successfully communicate with the deaf community, including his student-athletes.
Atkinson and his wife Emily have two daughters (Clare, 5 and Molly, 22 months) and reside in Ellicott City, Md.
“My wife and I want to get our daughters involved with volunteering as well,” Atkinson said. “Clare has already been doing some projects at her young age. We want to make community outreach a family priority.”
“Personally, I am very proud to have Sam on my staff as our communications director. He really knows how to find the great stories and has coordinated a lot of national publicity for our university,” Weinstock said.
“We at Gallaudet appreciate all his does for our community of student-athletes and coaches, and we admire his volunteerism,” Weinstock concluded. “Now, due to his own good work, he is being recognized with the Kenworthy Award. There can be no more deserving candidate.”