May 21, 2004
EVANSTON, Ill. - Northwestern has selected Suzi Sutton (York, Pa./Dallastown) as its Coca-Cola Community All-American for her excellence in community service. The Coca-Cola Community All-Americans program recognizes and celebrates student-athletes who are making a difference in their communities.
A field hockey and walk-on basketball player for the Wildcats, Sutton has also been NU's basketball manager for three seasons and softball manager for one. She is a four-year letterwinner and will graduate in June as an Academic All-Big Ten selection.
Sutton has been involved in numerous community service projects, ranging from reading to elementary school children and spending time at Children's Hospital to volunteering at a local nursing home. The senior has organized food drives and "Holiday for the Community", collecting monetary and other donations for local Evanston families in need, in addition to organizing NU's athlete volunteer network for the Special Olympics.
Most recently, Sutton was named chairperson for Northwestern's American Cancer Society Relay For Life. She was a team captain in 2001 and 2001 and was a key organizer for the first inaugural campus Relay For Life in 2003. This year's event will be held from 6 p.m. Friday until 8 a.m. Saturday a Welsh-Ryan Arena on the Evanston campus.
"We are extremely proud of all our student-athletes and the tremendous commitments they've made to Northwestern and our community through their community service efforts," said Northwestern's Director of Athletics Mark Murphy. "Suzi has set a standard for our entire department both on and off the field and deserves to be recognized for her outstanding contributions to our community."
PROGRAM BACKGROUND:
The Coca-Cola Community All-Americans is a program designed to highlight the student-athlete's commitment to community service. The program brings national attention to the issues of volunteerism and community involvement, and recognizes, celebrates and applauds student-athletes who are making a difference in their communities. The Coca-Cola Company recently teamed with the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) to recognize community service in intercollegiate athletics in NCAA, NAIATM and Junior/Community College member institutions.