Temple University Athletics
Temple Football Team Honored With PSC Community Service Award
5.27.09 | Football
May 27, 2009
PHILADELPHIA - The Temple University Football Team will receive the Philadelphia Sports Congress' 2009 Community Service Award, based on its tremendous outreach into the community over the past year.
"Temple University's mission will always be rooted in the personal potential of those that comprise our own communities," said fourth-year head coach Al Golden. "Since our arrival in 2006, we have strived to uphold this mission and leave a lasting footprint in these communities here in Philadelphia. For our student-athletes, stewardship, gratitude, and contributing to the comfort of the less fortunate is part of our team's fabric and one of the pillars of our leadership philosophy. I humbly accept the Philadelphia Sports Congress' Community Service Award on behalf of Temple University, our staff, and most importantly, our student-athletes, who have not only devoted time, but have chosen a cause beyond oneself."
A ceremony will be held on July 8 at the Wanamaker Building's Crystal Tea Room.
During the off-season, the Temple Owls continued their Owl Outreach program, giving back to the Philadelphia community with 100 percent student-athlete participation. During their free time, the players logged more than 1,000 hours of service last spring alone.
In April 2008, the Owls organized the largest bone marrow drive by a collegiate team, registering 630 potential donors. The team participated in the Partnership Field Day and the Diamond Street Cleanup while organizing a Thanksgiving food drive for two area homeless shelters.
Prior to the Ohio game last fall, the Temple players voted to donate their weekly per diem to the Philadelphia affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure. The coaches and staff contributed additional cash, while Temple Athletics also donated a minimum of 10 percent of its single-game ticket sales.
-- more -- The team also assisted on the Komen three-day walk (during a game week). Players helped walkers unload their gear and set up their tents on Friday upon arrival at the camp site. On Sunday, beginning at 5 a.m., the played helped break down tents and load gear onto moving trucks.
A contingent of players visits children at St. Christopher's Hospital several times throughout the year. Teammates work the North Philly Aztecs Youth Football Camp each July. The Owls also volunteer with the Philadelphia Ronald McDonald House, assisting with its volunteer barbecue and First Southwest Airlines Plane Pull. The Owls organize community service events each month.
The Temple Football Team earned recognition in April 2009, receiving the Athletic Department's inaugural T.E.A.M. [Temple's Exceptional Acts for Mankind] Award for community service at the Temple Breakfast of Champions ceremony. Captain DB Dominique Harris (Washington, D.C.), a candidate for the 2009 American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Good Works Team, was the male recipient of the of the 2009 Temple Teammates Award, given to student-athletes who have demonstrated leadership qualities in the area of community service, inspiring others to engage in similar selfless civic endeavors for the purpose of improving the quality of life for those in the local community.
Additionally, PSC will honor the 2008 World Champion Philadelphia Phillies for the third consecutive year with the 2009 John Wanamaker Athletic Award, while Comcast-Spectacor Chairman Ed Snider will be presented a special Lifetime Achievement Award.
Since 1961, the Wanamaker Award has been presented to the athlete, team, or organization that has done the most to reflect credit upon Philadelphia and to the team or sport in which they excel.
The Philadelphia Sports Congress (PSC), a division of the Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau, presents the awards each year in conjunction with IPC/Amerimar Management Company.
Temple opens the 2009 season on Thursday, Sept. 3 with Villanova in the inaugural Mayor's Cup at Lincoln Financial Field.
The John Wanamaker Award Ceremony The Philadelphia Sports Congress, IPC/Amerimar Management Company, CBS-3 and the Philadelphia Daily News present the Wanamaker Award ceremony and luncheon. The public participated in the Wanamaker Award nomination process via ballots in the Philadelphia Daily News and online during May. The Wanamaker Selection Committee, consisting of a cross-section of sports and media representatives, made the final decision. CBS-3's Beasley Reece will emcee the event. Previous recipients of the Wanamaker Award and Philadelphia Sports Congress Community Service Award are listed at www.philadelphiasportscongress.com.
