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Hershey's
STRIVE Award Program
James 'Obie' Evans
National Administrator of the Year
Dixie Softball, Inc.
Birmingham, AL
(event
location Bay St. Louis, Mississippi)
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
CONTACT:
Sally S. Johnson, Executive Director
National Council of Youth Sports
772-781-1452
youthsports@ncys.org
DIXIE SOFTBALL PRESIDENT ONE OF FIVE YOUTH SPORTS LEADERS RECOGNIZED IN NATIONAL AWARDS PROGRAM
Birmingham native championed cause for girls softball in late 1960s
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (September 13, 2004) – All James “Obie” Evans wanted was a level playing field. In 1968, Evans took a group of girls from his Minor, Ala., hometown and formed a softball team that would one day become Dixie Softball, Inc. Today he is being honored as the first-ever recipient of the Hershey’s STRIVE Volunteer National Youth Sports Administrator of the Year Award.
The award not only recognizes Evans’ groundbreaking efforts 46 years ago, but also his 30 years of service as the National President of Dixie Softball, Inc. The league has grown significantly under Evans’ leadership, with teams in 77 districts in 11 states.
“Obie’s fight put him at odds with his friends and neighbors, but he persisted because he knew that the girls had as much right to playing facilities as the boys,” said Evans’ wife, Keri, who also serves as a Dixie volunteer.
The STRIVE Awards (Sports Teach Respect, Initiative, Values and Excellence) recognize three administrators, one volunteer and one coach for their “heartfelt passion, enthusiastic commitment and contagious spirit to help kids succeed in youth sports activities.” The award is presented by Hershey’s Fund Raising and the National Council of Youth Sports (NCYS). Honorees were nominated by team members, parents or colleagues and judged by a panel of NCYS officials.
“This award recognizes five outstanding leaders, but these individuals are not alone. 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,” said Stephanie Moritz for award sponsor Hershey’s Fund Raising. “Hershey congratulates each of this year’s winners and are proud to be associated with them.”
Evans will be honored on Friday, Sept. 17 at a Dixie Softball national board meeting in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi in front of more than 30 state representatives. The event is hosted by NCYS and Hershey’s Fund Raising. During the affair, Evans will be given a check for $2,500, which he has announced will be donated to The Dixie Softball Scholarship Fund.
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EDITOR’S NOTE: For more information about Obie Evans or the award,
please contact Sally Cunningham at (772) 781-1452 or youthspts@aol.com.
| 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 180 organizations/corporations
serving 52-million boys and
girls participating in organized
youth sports throughout the
United States. NCYS members
include organizations such
as: Little League Baseball,
Pop Warner Football, U.S.
Youth Soccer Association,
United States Olympic Committee,
and Boys & Girls Clubs
of America.
To learn more about the NCYS
visit www.ncys.org.
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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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