Coker earned the Division II Helper Helper award with 4,884 hours served, which averaged around 11 hours volunteered per student-athlete. The school saw an impressive 99% of its athletes participate in service events that included cleaning up the campus; supporting the soup kitchen in Hartsville, South Carolina; and contributing to a community Halloween bash, where close to 439 athletes volunteered.
Arkansas Tech finished second in Division II, and Colorado-Colorado Springs finished third.
"In a small town like Hartsville, the community plays a major role in the support of our university," said Julie Hilliard, Coker softball student-athlete and Student-Athlete Advisory Committee president. "As student-athletes, giving back to the community in various ways is important to strengthen that connection through volunteer work. I'm proud of my peers for all they have done this past year."
"I can't thank Helper Helper and the NCAA enough for providing this platform to showcase the amazing work Coker University student-athletes are doing in the Hartsville community," said Aaron Beebe, Coker senior associate director of athletics. "Strengthening our relationship with the city of Hartsville and Darlington County has been a point of emphasis in our university's strategic plan, and I can't thank our coaches, student-athletes and administration enough for prioritizing this and allowing us to develop those vibrant communities in our area."