Local Hockey Humanitarian Award Recipient Throws Ceremonial First Pitch at Fenway Park

This year’s recipients of the Hockey Humanitarian Award, Danny Divis and Justin McKenzie, were recognized at Saturday’s Red Sox game for their work to promote mental health awareness among student-athletes. Divis and McKenzie, recent graduates of St. Michael’s College and the first co-recipients of the award, were invited to throw the ceremonial first pitch at the game versus the Chicago White Sox. The Hockey Humanitarian Award, presented by longtime sponsor BNY Mellon Wealth Management, is given annually to a college hockey player who makes a significant contribution to the community-at-large through leadership in volunteerism.

Divis and McKenzie founded campus organization Hope Happens Here (HHH), which promotes mental health awareness and wellness among college students, particularly student-athletes, and have dedicated themselves to removing the stigma of mental health issues on college campuses. The teammates gave mental health presentations at local high schools and colleges and held awareness events at home games for various Saint Michael’s sports, raising thousands of dollars for one of their favorite charities, To Write Love on Her Arms, to which they also donated their Hockey Humanitarian Award honorariums.

A captain during his senior year, Divis was one of the highest-scoring defensemen in NCAA Division II/III ice hockey and was named all-conference by New England Hockey Conference (NEHC) and NE10 coaches for the second straight year this past winter. The Media, Pa. native finished with five all-league laurels during his career. Hailing from Hawthorne, N.J., assistant captain and steady contributor McKenzie was lauded with academic honors 10 times during his career.

The award was presented to Divis and McKenzie at the Aon Grand Ballroom as part of a broader celebration of the Frozen Four and college hockey in April.