IRVING, Texas –Carter Cunningham, a student-athlete on the East Carolina baseball team, has been selected as the 2024 recipient of the American Athletic Conference Community Impact Award as chosen by members of the conference’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
The award recognizes a student-athlete who has made an impact in either the surrounding or campus community through service work. One student-athlete or group from each American member is eligible for nomination each academic year. The award includes a donation from The American in Cunningham’s name to the life skills program at East Carolina.
A native of Haymarket, Virginia, Cunningham founded the Homers that Help Foundation, raising money for the local Children’s Hospital in Greenville, North Carolina, based on how many home runs Pirate baseball hits each game. Within 12 hours of Cunningham and ECU’s announcing the foundation, each of the 33 remaining Pirate baseball games were claimed by various sponsors. The foundation raised nearly $27,000 for the children and families who are being cared for by the Maynard’s Children’s Hospital in Greenville, while Cunningham pledged $25 himself for each home run he hit. In addition to raising money via the home runs, Cunningham and his Pirate teammates would take bi-weekly visits to the Children’s Hospital to visit with patients and their families.
Cunningham was the 2024 American Baseball Player of the Year and was a Dick Howser Trophy semifinalist after scoring a conference-record 77 runs. He also led The American with a .367 batting average, 92 hits, 164 total bases and tied for the league lead with 17 home runs. In addition, Cunningham was named to the 2024 Academic All-America First Team and was The American’s Baseball Scholar-Athlete of the Year after earning his MBA in May with a cumulative GPA of 3.875.
Other Nominees:
Sydney Clarke, UAB Women’s Tennis – instrumental in expansion of community service at UAB
Malina Pardo, Charlotte Women’s Soccer – volunteered over 100 hours with Care Ring and H.O.P.E.
Florida Atlantic Softball Team – completed 807 community service hours across 14 different opportunities
Janai Williams, North Texas Track and Field – participated in 40 different service opportunities in 2023-24
South Florida Football Team – hosted 3 Boys and Girls Club events, visited Tampa General to visit with cancer patients.
Mya VanderHagen, SMU Swimming and Diving – travelled to Peru on a mission trip with SMU Catholic Campus Ministry
Natalie DeMasi, Temple Women’s Soccer – co-founder of Temple’s chapter of Morgan’s Message
Hailey Atwood, UTSA Women’s Basketball – named Team IMPACT’s Teammate of the Year
Sion James, Tulane Men’s Basketball – The American’s SAAC Chair, helped initiate conference-wide week of service
Tulsa Women’s Golf Team – each student-athlete completed more than 10 hours with several local organizations
Wichita State Women’s Tennis Team – regularly mentored children at a local elementary school
Community Impact Award
The Student-Athlete Advisory Committee will annually select a student-athlete or group of student-athletes from one American Athletic Conference institution who has made a lasting impact on their surrounding community or within the campus community.
2018-19 Stephen Sepcich, Baseball, Tulane
2019-20 Alexandra Wall, Swimming & Diving, Cincinnati
2020-21 Alexis Cheatum, Volleyball, Houston
2021-22 Jenica Baron, Bowling, Tulane
2022-23 Annabelle Corcoran, Swimming & Diving, SMU
2023-24 Carter Cunningham, Baseball, East Carolina
