Brittany Ammerman, a graduate of the North American Hockey Academy in Stowe, has been selected as the 2015 recipient of the Hockey Humanitarian Award, and another NAHA graduate, Zoe Hickel, was also among the five finalists for the award.
The finalists were selected from both men’s and women’s NCAA hockey, and the award was presented last weekend at the men’s NCAA Frozen Four in Boston.
“We’re very proud of Brittany Ammerman and her selection to receive the Hockey Humanitarian Award,” said Bill Driscoll, director at NAHA. “Over the years, she’s not only been one of the best players, but also one of the best young women we’ve had attend NAHA. She’s very deserving of this award, as is Zoe Hickel in being one of the finalists for this great honor.”
Ammerman spent three years at NAHA and was captain her senior year before moving on to the University of Wisconsin, where she’s a senior this year.
While at NAHA, she was selected twice for the USA Hockey U18 National Team; at Wisconsin, her team won the NCAA women’s championships. Ammerman was one of 10 finalists last year for the Patty Kazmaier award for the best player in women’s college hockey.
The Hockey Humanitarian Award, in its 20th year, has become one of the most prestigious awards in sports.
Ammerman, who majored in women’s studies and biology at Wisconsin, started the Nikumbuke Women’s Soccer League in seven remote villages in Kenya. She was inspired by a visit to the country with Health by Motorbike, a University of Wisconsin group that provides health services and education to women in Kenya.
With the help of U.S. soccer legend Julie Foudy, Ammerman and the league raised more than $21,000 to provide uniforms and shoes to seven villages that plan to play a tournament this summer.
Hickel, the other NAHA graduate who was a finalist for the humanitarian award, is a senior at the University of Minnesota-Duluth and former captain at NAHA.
She has been instrumental in her home state of Alaska in creating programs and raising money to help young people with active lifestyles, healthy living and opportunities in several sports.
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