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2002-2003 HUMANITARIAN AWARD WINNER
Cornell University
 BUFFALO, NY— Cornell University senior left wing Sam Paolini, who has been involved with community activities because "it makes others feel good" while still excelling on the ice and in the classroom, has been named recipient of the 2003 Hockey Humanitarian Award.
The announcement was made today (April 11th) as part of college hockey’s award day. The ceremony was held in conjunction with the announcement of the Hobey Baker Award recipient in Buffalo, NY, which is the site of college hockey’s Frozen Four.
This is the eighth year the Award has been presented. Boston University goalie J.P. McKersie received the initial Humanitarian Award in 1996. University of Michigan defenseman Blake Sloan was the 1997 recipient, while University of Wisconsin’s Erik Raygor was the 1998 Humanitarian. In 1999, Rochester Institute of Technology defenseman Kristine Pierce became the first woman, and first non-Division 1 player to receive the Award. The University of Maine’s Jim Leger won the Award in 2000, while Jason Cupp from the University of Nebraska—Omaha was the 2001 recipient. Most recently, last year’s Humanitarian was Buffalo State’s Rocky Reeves.
With the selection of Paolini, the ECAC now has had the most Humanitarian Award recipients as he is joined by RIT’s Kristine Pierce and Buffalo State’s Rocky Rees. Hockey East has had Boston University’s J.P. McKersie and Maine’s Jim Leger, while the University of Wisconsin’s Erik Raygor played in the WCHA. Finally, the CCHA has had the University of Michigan’s Blake Sloan and the University of Nebraska—Omaha’s Jason Cupp.
There was a strong Cornell contingent at the presentation ceremonies as the Big Red was one of the four teams to advance to the Frozen Four.
 The others were New Hampshire, while played Cornell yesterday (Thursday, April 10th) in one of the two national semifinal games. The other two semifinalists, defending champion University of Minnesota and the University of Michigan, played in last night’s other semifinal game.
The two winners will play tomorrow evening (April 12th) in the NCAA Division 1 title game.
For Cornell, this marks the first time since 1980 that it has advanced to the national semifinals. Coming to Buffalo with a 30-4-1 record and winners of the ECAC regular-season and post-season titles, the Big Red have depended on a number of outstanding performers among whom has been Paolini. He is tied for second on the team in goals with 13 and tied for third in total points with 30.
He does lead the team in power play goals with 7, as Cornell has scored a total of 37. This is a key figure not just for the team, but also for Ithaca, NY and the Ithaca Breast Cancer Alliance (IBCA).
It is this group that has benefited greatly from Paolini’s goal to give back to the community.
Last fall, through his own initiative, the native of Rochester, NY established Power Play for Prevention, a program where donors would give money for each power play goal Cornell would score during the 2002-03 season.
 He approached both the IBCA and Tompkins Trust, a local bank that pledged $100.00 for each power play goal. Then, through an active program, pledges were collected from local people so that the total reached over $300.00 per goal.
With 37 power play goals scored entering yesterday’s NCAA semifinal game, more than $10,000.00 has been pledged for the IBCA.
Last Thursday night (April 3rd), Christine Sanchirico, the Executive of the IBCA, presented Paolini with a glass puck inscribed with the words "Power Play for Prevention, Sam Paolini, IBCA’s Hockey Hero."
Paolini, who has a 3.12 grade point average while majoring in applied economic management, has a personal involvement with cancer as both his mother, Diane, and grandmother are breast cancer survivors.
"I wanted people in Ithaca to be aware of cancer and know that, in many cases, it can be cured," said the 23-year-old Paolini. "I also wanted to give something back to the Ithaca community. They are so supportive of our hockey team that I wanted them to know that we appreciated all that they do for us."
Thus, last fall, he approached the Tompkins Trust people to become involved with the Power Play Prevention program.
"I felt that we would have a special power play unit this year," said Paolini, who led the ECAC in power play goals last year and is a key member of the Big Red unit this year. "They agreed to become involved, and they marketed it in their branch offices around Ithaca.
"Then, the community got behind it," continued Paolini. "The IBCA set up tables at our home games, and the people really got behind it.
"It went beyond my wildest expectations."
"It’s extraordinary when a student would like to help, has a plan in mind, and then follows through on that plan purely on his or her own initiative," said Christine Sanchirico, of the Ithaca Breast Cancer Alliance. "Sam has been that kind of extraordinary volunteer."
Power Play Prevention was not the only program in which Paolini was involved as he initiated the "Special Population Skate" at Cornell. The program is designed to introduce people with special needs to skating and hockey.
What is remarkable about this program is that it takes place for about an hour every Sunday from October through the hockey season, and it has since Paolini first approached the Ithaca Youth Bureau about the program two years ago.
"While I am really proud about what the community has done with the Power Play Prevention program this year, the ‘Special Population Skate’ is my pride and joy," Paolini said. "We never had a program like this at Cornell before and I feel strongly that it will carry on after I graduate.
"It’s really rewarding to see the people come here once a week," he said. "Some of them will start out being pushed around in chairs and then get out the chair and start skating around the ice with guys on the team.
"Then, during the week, I hear how some of the people had so much fun on Sunday that they can’t wait to come back the next week."
Earlier this season, the Big Red played a game at Vermont on a Saturday night. They took a bus back to Ithaca throughout the night and were on the ice with the special needs adults on Sunday afternoon.
It should not have come as a big surprise that Paolini would be involved with community activities as he has volunteered his time for nearly a decade.
"My aunt Carol had a kidney transplant in 1994, and my mother started us (older brother Tom and younger sister Marisa) volunteering for the kidney foundation," said Paolini. "My mother always felt that we should be thankful for what we have and give back to others."
"I always taught the kids that they should get involved and go out of their way to help others," said Diane. "I told them that if they saw a youngster drop a tray in the school cafeteria, they should not be the ones to laugh at them. They should be the ones to go over and help the person pick up the tray."
"My mom is my hero," said Paolini. "She and my grandmother are my inspiration."
He carried the lessons learned at home with him to Choate Rosemary School.
It was here that he was first exposed to the Special Population Skate, a program that already existed at the prep school.
"My husband (Sam) and I would go to Choate and see Sam play," said Diane. "We would see the games on Saturday and stay around on Sunday. When we watched him with the special needs kids and saw the smiles on their faces when they were on the ice, it would bring tears to our eyes."
There will be similar tears when the Paolinis see their son receive the Humanitarian Award.
"It’s going to be unbelievable," said Mr. Paolini. "I don’t think I can explain it. We are so proud of him and the entire Cornell hockey team and how they have all given back to the community.
"I am just ecstatic," he continued. "This is too good to be true."
"It’s going to be like watching a movie," said Mrs. Paolini. "It’s going to be surreal watching Sam receive the Award. Our goal was to have our kids help those less fortunate. To see that Sam is being recognized for what he has initiated on his own is going to be a real highlight for us."
"When I heard I was being nominated for this Award, I felt very honored," said Paolini. "Then, when I heard that I was a finalist with four other outstanding people, I felt an even greater honor.
"Now, to be receiving the Humanitarian Award is something I can’t explain," he concluded. "It is something I will never forget.
"I know that after graduating I will continue to stay involved."
"Not only is Sam an outstanding student athlete, he is also an outstanding human being as evidence by the many ways he has enriched the Ithaca community during his four years at Cornell," wrote Barbara Hatt from the South Hill Elementary School.
In addition to the Power Play Prevention and the Special Population Skate, this past year, Paolini was the coordinator of the hockey team’s visit to South Hill.
"Sam does all these activities because it makes others feel good," summed up Cornell head hockey coach Mike Schafer.
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