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Feb. 25, 2004
Sims to honor distinguished scholar athletes
17th annual Paul Robeson Scholar-Athlete Awards ceremony praises achievements of tomorrow’s leaders
King County Executive Ron Sims tomorrow will honor close to 600 students from throughout King County at the 17th annual Paul Robeson Scholar-Athlete Awards ceremony. Sims will be joined by guest speaker Nate McMillan, Head Coach of the Seattle Sonics.
The ceremony will take place:
Thursday, Feb. 26, 2004
5 p.m. – Doors open for registration of recipients
6 p.m. – Ceremony program
Stadium Exhibition Center
“I am pleased to honor an accomplished group of scholar-athletes,” said Sims. “As we cheer on our children, we provide them with the encouragement and drive to succeed.”
Named in honor of Paul Robeson (1898-1976) an internationally acclaimed actor and singer who was also a brilliant scholar athlete, the Paul Robeson Scholar-Athlete Awards program was created in 1986 by Sims and Lt. Ronald Sylve of the Seattle Police Department (retired). The program recognizes student athletes from kindergarten through the sophomore year of high school who earn a 3.0 GPA or higher while participating in athletics.
“This is an award named in memory of Paul Robeson, a man who overcame race and became one of the most accomplished, driven and multi-talented African Americans in history,” said Sims. “Through this program we try to convey to the kids that they can be fine athletes but if they are academically driven to succeed their potential is infinite. With strong minds they can have a profound impact in this world, in this country and in their communities,” said Sims.
Robeson was a Phi Beta Kappa scholar and valedictorian at Rutgers University who spoke and wrote more than 20 languages. Robeson was the third African American graduate of Columbia Law School, graduating with honors. As an athlete, Robeson was a star baseball catcher, a stellar basketball player and coach, one of the first African Americans to be named an All-American in college football and one of the first African Americans to play and star in professional football. An individual with an astonishing list of achievements, Robeson used his fame to advance the cause of civil rights.
This year’s ceremony is sponsored by Vulcan Inc.; Muckleshoot Indian Tribe; Chevron; ING Financial Advisors; Wells Fargo; Goldman, Sachs & Co.; Universal Field Services, Inc.; Cadman, Inc.; and KeyBank.
“For 17 years the Paul Robeson Scholar Athlete Awards Program has motivated our youth to find a healthy balance between books and the playing field,” said Sims. “Reading and scholastic achievement must be encouraged for it is education that will provide the foundation for our children’s future.”
For more information, visit the Paul Robeson Scholar-Athlete Awards Program Web site.
Updated: Feb. 25, 2004
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