The Atlanta Falcons recognize that many organizations rely on quality volunteers to create and facilitate programs that benefit many lives throughout the state of Georgia. The Community Quarterback Award honors volunteers in Georgia (ages 13 and over) who exemplify leadership and dedication to bettering their communities. The winners of the 2011 Community Quarterback Award are Dylan Callicotte (Epilepsy Foundation of Georgia), James Hamm (Special Populations Tennis Program, Inc.), Randall Hughes (Atlanta Legal Aid Society, Inc.) and Kirk Posmantur (After-School All-Stars). The winners were selected by a panel of civic and community leaders and will be honored during an on-field presentation during the Atlanta Falcons vs. New Orleans Saints game on Sunday, November 13, 2011. A $2,000 grant will be awarded to the non-profit organization each winner serves.
Dylan Callicotte – Epilepsy Foundation of Georgia
For the past seven years, Dylan Callicotte has volunteered his time to the Epilepsy Foundation of Georgia as well as serving as a camp counselor at the annual Epilepsy Summer Camp. He attends the camp with his younger brother, Ian, who has multiple disabilities, including epilepsy. Additionally, Calicoes has served as a spokesperson for the Epilepsy Foundation of Georgia and has presented at the Taste of Love. He attends Collins Hill High School where he serves as a mentor and math tutor. Callicotte is also an accomplished violinist.
The Epilepsy Foundation of Georgia provides education, advocacy and service for people affected by seizures. Through its community involvement with employers, teachers, healthcare professionals and individuals with epilepsy and their families, the Epilepsy Foundation of Georgia is active in a broad range of programs.
James Hamm – Special Populations Tennis Program, Inc.
In 2005, James Hamm created the Special Populations Tennis Program, Inc., to offer special needs athletes the opportunity to learn the game of tennis. Hamm spends time each week teaching tennis one-on-one to students with autism or developmental delays at Heart of Hope Academy. Special Populations Tennis Programs, Inc. hosts 17 training locations in metro Atlanta and serves over 550 athletes, many who have competed in the Special Olympics Georgia Summer Games. Hamm was Head Tennis Coach of Team USA for the Special Olympics 2011 World Summer Games in Athens, Greece in July 2010. His work with Special Populations Tennis Progam, Inc., both as a hands-on volunteer and as a leader, has provided children and adults with intellectual disabilities with a year-round organized outlet for engaging in a lifetime sport.
Special Populations Tennis Program, Inc. is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization that offers an adaptive tennis program specifically designed to share the lifetime sport of tennis with children and adults with intellectual disabilities. Programs offered free of charge to all skill levels, including those who have never played, include year-round tennis instruction, league play and tournament competition.
Randall Hughes – Atlanta Legal Aid Society, Inc.
Randall Hughes began volunteering as a Saturday lawyer over 40 years ago with with the Atlanta Legal Aid Society, Inc. Hughes also served on the Advisory Board, the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee before becoming Board President in 1996. In 2007, Hughes began spending one day a week volunteering with the Senior Hotline, a statewide service for senior citizens with legal questions/problems. Hughes soon added another duty to his volunteer job, working with the Health Law Partnership (HeLP), a collaborative among Atlanta Legal Aid, Children's Healthcare and Georgia State Law School. In addition, Hughes has taken on a third volunteer assignment addressing the legal issues faced by people with AIDS and cancer.
The Atlanta Legal Aid Society, Inc. provides civil legal services to low-income people residing in metropolitan Atlanta's five counties, focusing on five core areas of practice: family law, housing, healthcare, government benefits and consumer finance. Ten additional programs address special issues ranging from the rights of physically or mentally disabled persons to nursing home oversight.
Kirk Posmantur – After-School All-Stars
Kirk Posmantur has volunteered with the After-School All-Stars for more than a decade, serving as the Board Chair. Since 1999, Posmantur has worked tirelessly to creatively establish After-School All-Stars as the model program for middle school children. Posmantur has been instrumental in the expansion of the After-School All-Stars program by providing unwavering support, perseverance, and dedication to systematic growth and development.
After-School All-Stars in Atlanta provides comprehensive out-of-school programs that are fun for kids and also keep them safe and help them achieve success in school and life. This program improves kids' lives by nurturing their minds, bodies and spirits through programs that incorporate independent learning, academics and enrichment activities. After-School All-Stars now has 14 sites focusing primarily on urban Atlanta middle schools with over 2,500 children participating daily.
