Watching PCA-Portland’s six Triple-Impact Competitor® Scholarship winners take the stage at the Chapter’s inaugural Jeans & Jerseys Youth Sports Awards “was a very impactful moment,” recalled Ben Dudley, PCA-Portland Chapter Executive Director. “It made the work that we are doing in the Portland area very real. These student-athletes are leaders, they are inspiring, and they give me a hope that through our hard work, and the dedication of great coaches, we can shape future generations to be Better Athletes and Better People.”
SureID – the identity-assurance service provider that has long supported PCA-Portland – hosted and sponsored the event at the company’s facility in Hillsboro. Trail Blazers Sideline Reporter Brooke Olzendam served as Master of Ceremonies for the Feb. 11 fundraiser and silent auction. But the scholarship winners – as you can see in videos throughout this page – enthralled the 175-plus PCA supporters in attendance.
“I was overwhelmed with the energy in the room during the event,” Dudley said. “People were genuinely having a great time, and we intentionally focused attention on our scholarship winners. They were the stars, and it was their night to shine. Both our Excellence in Leadership award winner, Ellen Schmidt-Devlin, and our Triple-Impact Executive award winner, Howard ‘H’ White, used their speaking opportunity to challenge and inspire our athletes. It spoke volumes about their character and the significance of our event: honoring those who do things the right way, with integrity and leadership, tells a story our culture so desperately needs to hear.”
The scholarship winners – Austen Carpenter, Kerstina Nasr, Anna Nguyen, Nathan Ninteman, Allie Potter, and Mattie Ziegler – were chosen for exhibiting sportsmanship, character, and leadership in their school communities. SureID and Amy Roloff Charity Foundation funded the scholarship awards.
In a special moment, Rudy Ruettiger, who inspired the film Rudy, presented the “SureID Rudy” award to Nasr. The Gresham High School student’s story of perseverance in its own way surpassed that of Rudy himself. When Nasr immigrated into the U.S. from Egypt, she knew no English and had never played a sport. Still, she earned a varsity letter this year, showing the type of grit the SureID Rudy award symbolizes.
Additional sponsors that contributed to the event’s success were Brand Jordan, Hillsboro Hops, and Rip City Sports Radio. SureID and PCA have since announced a partnership to introduce the SureID Certified EdgeTM identity-assurance solution to the coaches, schools and youth sports organizations PCA reaches nationwide. More information on the partnership is available here.
Following are links to media promoting or covering the event:
KPTV News Story: Rudy Ruettiger attends Positive Coaching Alliance's Youth Sports Awards
Story in The Oregonian: 'Rudy' speaks to local scholarship award winners
iHeart Radio: Listen to PCA-Portland Executive Director Ben Dudley on RipCity Radio
