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SAN
ANTONIO, Texas. (September 5, 2005)
- Janet Holliday and her twin sister
were not the best athletes; they
were always the last ones standing
to be picked to played sports. It
would end up each team would take
one sister. Holliday did not dwell
on the order she was picked - she
just wanted to play. To her playing
sports was fun.
As
a community volunteer since college,
Holliday wanted to instill that
same "sports is fun" attitude
in the children she helped get interested
in sports activities. Young people
in San Antonio, Texas have benefited
from her can-do spirit through her
involvement with the San Antonio
Sports Foundation. This is why Holliday
was selected to receive the 2005
Hershey's STRIVE Volunteer of the
Year Award.
"I have seen time and time
again the relationship between sports
skills and life skills," Holliday
said. "I will do my best to
continue to strive for excellence
in sports for our young people."
Thirteen
years ago Holliday became the chair
of the San Antonio Sports Hall of
Fame Tribute a huge gala recognizing
the legends in sports. All event
proceeds go towards young hopefuls
"Dream for Youth" program
which provides training to disadvantaged
children in the Olympic sports of
badminton, diving, gymnastics, fencing,
swimming, and volleyball. Holliday
is also an active leader of the
Go!Kids Challenge, a fitness walking
program for K-5th graders and the
co-chair of the NCAA Final Four
Division 1 Volleyball Championship.
"Janet
epitomizes the words 'Women helping
women,' " Susan Blackwood,
Executive Director of the San Antonio
Sports Foundation. "She has
served as a role model and mentor
for our entire staff of women at
the Sports Foundation. Her committee
members are driven by her enthusiasm,
knowledge, and experience as well
as her vivacious personality."
STRIVE
stands for Sports Teach Respect,
Initiative, Values and Excellence
and the award honors adult leaders
for their "heartfelt passion,
enthusiastic commitment and contagious
spirit to help kids succeed in youth
sports activities." This year,
NCYS will present Hershey's STRIVE
Awards to two administrators, one
volunteer and one coach. Honorees
were nominated by team members,
parents or colleagues and judged
by a panel of NCYS officials.
"This award recognizes four
outstanding leaders, but these individuals
are not alone," said Stephanie
Moritz of The Hershey Company, which
sponsors the award. "They are
a reflection of thousands of other
youth sports mentors across the
nation that work very hard and expect
little or nothing in return. Hershey
congratulates each of this year's
winners and we are proud to be associated
with them."
Sally
Cunningham, NCYS Executive Director,
noted that the shortage of national
spotlights for those involved in
youth sports prompted the NCYS to
create the awards.
"We
felt it was time to recognize them
on a larger stage and to give them
the praise they deserve" Cunningham
said. "Many of these individuals
devote countless hours each week,
all while juggling full-time careers,
families, and other commitments."
Holliday
will be honored on Friday, February
17th, 2006 during the San Antonio
Sports Hall of Fame Tribute before
more than 1,000 fans at San Antonio's
Alamodome. The presentation will
be made by NCYS and The Hershey
Company. During the celebration,
Holliday will receive a check for
$2,500, which she has announced
will be donated to the San Antonio
Sports Foundation.
Other
STRIVE winners
Other
STRIVE Award winners are Lenny Silberman,
Jewish Community Center Association's
Director of the JCC Maccabi Games,
who received the Hershey's STRIVE
National Administrator of the Year
Award. Among many exceptional achievements,
Silberman created the "Day
of Caring, Day of Sharing"
where youngsters are taught the
lesson to give back to others in
the form of a community service
project and to help "repair
the world." Silberman has also
been instrumental in advancing Israel
Sport Center for the Disabled,
a leading rehabilitation facility.
The
JCC Maccabi Games are an annual
international Olympic style sporting
and cultural sharing event, which,
under Silberman's leadership, has
grown from 2,200 to 6,500 teenage
athletes. Silberman is committed
to sports being the conduit through
which children learn life lesson,
values, compassion and ethics.
Rob
Martin from Perkasie Pennsylvania
has carried his vision to admired
achievement earning him the Hershey's
STRIVE Local Youth Sports Administrator
of the Year Award. In 1995, Martin
began transforming the Deep Run
Valley Sports Association's (DRVSA)
softball program to what community
supporters now say is now "the
luckiest sports association in Pennsylvania."
Through
his exemplary leadership Martin
has shaped a youth sports program
introducing the "Everybody
Hits" program for special needs
players, implementing coaches and
umpires clinics/training, a youth
coaching mentoring program, and
more than doubling the youth participation
in the intramural program. Martin
led his association to raise substantial
funds to build a state-of-the-art
sports facility complete with five
fields, permanent fencing, a two-story
clubhouse, concrete block dugouts,
bleachers, a pavilion and batting
cages.
Martin is dedicated to creating
an undying zeal for the girls and
their families as well as a safe
environment for all children of
all skill levels to play. Martin
humbly says, "Every girl should
experience the fun side of the game."
Brenda
Gilmore of Upper Marlboro, Maryland
received the Hershey's STRIVE Coach
of the Year Award for her devotion
to the Prince George's Tennis &
Education Foundation. Against all
odds, and from a wheelchair, Gilmore
launched the foundation to enrich
the lives of under-served county
youth through productive activities.
Gilmore
coaches tennis as well as after-school
programs, tutorial and college preparation
assistance, high-performance player
support and tennis camps for hundreds
of youth of all ages. The program
develops self-esteem and promotes
physical activity, healthy lifestyles,
life skills, and academic excellence.
Gilmore is an example of all that
is best sport and life. She is a
role model of inspiration both on
and off the court.
#
# #
EDITOR'S NOTE: For more information
about Janet Holliday or the Hershey's
STRIVE Awards, please contact Sally
Cunningham, NCYS Executive Director
at (772) 781-1452 or youthsports@ncys.org.
ABOUT THE NCYS:
The
National Council of Youth Sports
(NCYS) comprises the who's who in
the youth sports industry. Its membership
represents more than 173 organizations/corporations
serving 52 million boys and girls
participating in organized youth
sports throughout the United States.
NCYS member organizations include
Little League Baseball, Pop Warner
Football, the American Youth Soccer
Association and the Boys & Girls
Clubs of America. To learn more
about the Council visit www.ncys.org.
ABOUT The Hershey Company
The
Hershey Company has long offered
successful fundraising programs
for youth in America. Its sponsorship
of the STRIVE Awards stems from
The Hershey Company's devotion to
helping children of all ages to
"Dream, Reach and Succeed"
in everything that they do. For
more information about The Hershey
Company and its fundraising programs,
visit www.hersheysfundraising.com.
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Janet
Holliday NCYS' Hershey's
STRIVE Award's Volunteer
of the Year. Ms. Holliday
was honored for her leadership
and unselfish commitment
to spearheading an initiative
to create a youth sports
program that has unified
and inspired a community
with a genuine humanitarian
spirit, grace, and humility.
San
Antonio's Alamodome was
transformed from a sports
event venue to an evening
of the stars! The tables
were full of chocolate
including a souvenir glass
filled with Hershey kisses.
There were over 1,200
attendees at the San Antonio
Sports Hall of Fame dinner.
The formal black-tie event
was a night of magic beginning
with NCYS' Hershey STRIVE
Award being presented
to the National Youth
Sports Volunteer of the
Year! Every attendee quickly
learned that STRIVE is
all about Sports Teach
Respect, Initiative, Values
and Excellence.
San
Antonio Sports Foundation
Dreams for Youth participants
greeted guests into the
Alamodome. Featured here
are two athletes putting
on a fencing exhibition.
Sally
S. Cunningham, Executive
Director of the National
Council of Youth Sports
presents NCYS' Hershey's
STRIVE Award's Volunteer
of the Year to Janet Holliday.
In addition, Ms. Holliday
received letters and proclamations
from U.S. Representatives
Lamar Smith and Charlie
Gonzalez; Texas Representatives
Ruth Jones McClendon and
Joe Straus; and Texas
Governor Rick Perry. The
San Antonio Chamber of
Commerce also recognized
Janet's Hershey's STRIVE
Award.
The
stage was alive with STRIVE
pride! (L-R) NCYS Executive
Director Sally S. Cunningham,
NCYS President Wanda L.
Rutledge, Volunteer of
the Year Janet Holliday,
and Hershey's Fundraising
representative John Altic.
Holding the STRIVE banner
are two San Antonio Sports
Foundation Dreams for
Youth athletes Jennel
Pruneda and Mariah Lynn
Martinez.
Janet
is all smiles as her son
and husband share the
inspirational evening
with her. (L-R) Ryan Holliday,
Janet and Rob Holliday.
Proud
parents Mr. and Mrs. Dover
celebrate the exciting
moment with their daughter
Janet, a very special
woman with nonstop enthusiasm
and a tenacious spirit
who gives her all to all
for a more wholesome society.
Surrounded
by friends and colleagues,
Janet is respected as
a pillar of the San Antonio
community.
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