Fairfield University women's golfer Jill Macari (Reading, Mass.) has been named a qualifier for The John Wooden Trophy, a sports citizenship award, as announced by Athletes for a Better World's Executive Director, Dan G. Tripps, Ph.D.

The mission of Athletes for a Better World (ABW) is to use sports to develop character, teamwork, and citizenship through commitment to an athletic code for living that applies to life, and to create a movement that will play a significant role in the transformation of individuals, sports, and society.

To that end, The John Wooden Trophy is presented to two distinguished athletes - one intercollegiate and one professional - that best display character, teamwork, and citizenship, the attributes Athletes for a Better World deems central to transforming individuals, sport, and society. The award establishes the recipients as athletes of excellence both on and off the field, role models both as performers and persons, the most important and distinctive honor athletes can achieve.

Macari, who spent the 2004 spring semester studying abroad at the University of Cape Town in South Africa, was nominated for her efforts involving the Baphumelele Children's Home, an orphanage 20-kilometers southeast of Cape Town.

Shortly after arriving on campus, Macari volunteered with Habitat for Humanity. She became part of a build that was assigned to add a structure onto Baphumelele and while on the job, Macari and several fellow builders became interested in becoming more involved with the orphanage itself. Through the University they arranged for transportation to take them to the orphanage where they volunteered for 15 to 20 hours a week. Seeing the needs of the orphanage firsthand, Macari decided to use her resources back in the United States to help even more. Through her efforts, she raised more than $2,500, which the orphanage was able to use to purchase essentials, like diapers and formula, as well as a stove, a freezer, and coats and shoes for more than 60 children.

Macari and 23 other student-athletes were selected from 96 nominations for the college category. She will find out next week if she is named one of the 12 semi-finalists. From there, six athletes will appear on a national ballot which will be voted on in November. The awards ceremony will take place on January 10, 2005, in Los Angeles, Calif.

Contact: Julie Greco (203) 254-4000, ext. 2878

Posted On: 10-26-2004 10:10 AM

Volume: 37 Number: 90