Volunteer Awards
Volunteer All-Star Program
As a way of honoring those who give so much to Atlanta Track Club, we instituted the Atlanta Track Club All-Star Volunteer Program in 2005. An All-Star Volunteer is any individual who volunteers with us 10 or more times in a year. Each All-Star receives a special gift and recognition at the Grand Prix Finale & Volunteer Awards Breakfast at the end of the year. It is never too late to join the elite ranks. Simply sign up for our newsletter and start volunteering!
2023 All-Star Award Winners
In 2023, Atlanta Track Club has proudly named the following All-Star award winners! These volunteers were able to volunteer 10 or more times this year. Click below for a complete listing of All-Star award winners by year.
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2024 All-Star Volunteers Coming Soon! 2023 All-Star Volunteers 2022 All-Star Volunteers 2021 All-Star Volunteers
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Volunteer of the Year Awards
Each year, we celebrate a few "above and beyond" amazing volunteers for going above and beyond the call of duty with their volunteer work both within our organization and in the greater community. Awards are presented at the Grand Prix Finale & Volunteer Awards Banquet. For a historical look back at all of our Volunteers of the Year, click here: Volunteer of the Year History.
The recipients of the 2023 Volunteer Awards are:
2023 Clarence W. May Jr. Community Service Award: David Henry
Among the most prestigious awards for Atlanta Track Club is the Clarence W. May Jr. Community Service Award. Named in honor of a long time dedicated volunteer of the organization who passed away in 2000, this award recognizes a volunteer who not only makes significant contributions to Atlanta Track Club, but to the greater community around us.
Clarence was an avid runner and cyclist with memberships to Atlanta Track Club, the Chattahoochee Road Runners and the Southern Bicycle League. He loved communing with nature through these activities. For many years, Clarence led the effort to refurbish hundreds of bicycles for underprivileged children in the Atlanta area during the holidays so they could receive a bike for Christmas.
The recipient of the 2023 Clarence W. May Jr. Award for Community Service is David Henry.
David has volunteered with the Track Club for over 7 years, and he has served as a crew chief and ambassador. In 2023 alone, David has volunteered at 10 events with 14 shifts, equaling a total of 156 hours!
But, the reason David is receiving the Clarence W. May award is obviously not only for his service to Atlanta Track Club but to the Atlanta Community as a whole.
David's community involvement includes :
Coaching a Track & Field Team and Girls Volleyball Team at the Howard School
Volunteering with Run Social
Running Nerds
Safehouse Outreach for the Homeless with Black Men Run
The Race
The One Love Century Ride by Metro Atlanta Cycling Club
Velo City Atlanta by Grady
We are honored to have David as our award winner, and appreciate all of his hard work and dedication to the track club.
2023 Road Race Volunteer of the Year: Gwendolyn Irvin
Gwendolyn Irvin has volunteered with Atlanta Track Club for over 8 years for more than 20 events. Gwendolyn has been a Crew Chief for each of the larger events: the AJC Peachtree Road Race, Publix Atlanta Marathon, PNC 10 Miler, and the Thanksgiving day Half Marathon. Gwendolyn has logged more than 300 service hours for Atlanta Track Club events!
She brings a great deal of organization, responsibility and integrity to everything she does. As one of her volunteers stated in an after-action survey, "Crew Chief Gwendolyn Irvin is awesome!!!" This volunteer described Gwendolyn's emails as informative and friendly. They included maps and notes describing everything that needed to be done as a monitor. Gwendolyn was described as a great communicator via email but, "in person, even better". The volunteers who work with Miss Gwendolyn always want to work with her again.
Gwendolyn is a volunteer and leader who knows how to quickly adapt in any situation and make sure those around her are confident in what they are doing. We truly appreciate her dedication to the track club!
2023 Track & Field Volunteer of the Year: Martin Chen
We have had the privilege of working with Martin at many Track Club events, but we want to specifically recognize him for his work at our Track and Field events. Martin has not only served as a crew chief at the Publix Atlanta Marathon, the Atlanta Journal Constitution Peachtree Road Race, the PNC Atlanta 10 Miler & 5K, and the Invesco QQQ Thanksgiving Day Half Marathon, but also helped at the Microsoft Peachtree Jr and the Fall Midweek Mile & Dash events on the track. Regardless of the size of the event or the scope of his role, Martin brings the same commitment and dedication to every race he works.
An avid runner himself, Martin's passion for the running community and the life cycle of the runner shines through in the wide variety of events he volunteers at. He is always a friendly face, a helpful hand, and a kind word of encouragement. His impact has not only reached the thousands of participants he has come into contact with, but the staff and volunteers that work along side him. We are so grateful for all of the time he has given to Atlanta Track Club and pleased to award him with the 2023 Track and Field Volunteer of the Year!
2023 Youth Volunteer of the Year: Jeff Dumler
It is our honor to present this year's Youth Volunteer of the Year award to Jeff Dumler. On behalf of Atlanta Track Club, Jeff -- thank you so much for sparking a new love of movement for the Lilburn Elementary community, and for always going above and beyond for your students.
2023 Ambassador of the Year: Chris Carino
The Ambassadors are tasked with promoting our events at Expos and they also go to outside events to spread awareness of our events and initiatives - ultimately trying to grow our membership and to join Running City USA.
They're always active on social media in order to help us create more of a constant conversation both in person and online. Choosing an Ambassador of the Year was a very tough decision as there were many people that deserved this honor. However, it is an honor to acknowledge an individual who has gone above and beyond.
From being a regular presence at group runs to lending a hand at every major Atlanta Track Club event, this individual has exemplified what it means to be a dedicated ambassador. There is never a time where this ambassador would not offer to help out and always did so with a smile on their face. Our Ambassador of the Year has also made a significant impact on social media, effectively spreading the word about the Atlanta Track Club's mission and encouraging participation in our events in new and creative ways. Their passion for running and commitment to our organization are apparent in every post and show a genuine love for the club and what we do.
To our Ambassador of the Year, your dedication has not gone unnoticed, and your impact is immeasurable. With that, we would like to congratulate and thank our 2023 Ambassador of the Year, Chris Carino.
2023 Run Leads of the Year - Cathy Stephens & Luke Butler
A Run Lead is a mentor. A Run Lead is a cheerleader. A Run Lead is a coach. A Run Lead is someone who believes in the transformational power of running. They believe in the transformational power of running because running has transformed them in a way and to a degree that they feel moved to share it with others.
A Run Lead is someone who selflessly helps others achieve their big, audacious, lifelong, bucket list goals like running their first marathon or running their fastest marathon or training for and running their first 5K or crossing some other life related finish line.
We have the honor of recognizing and celebrating two EXTRAORDINARY Run Leads. To say these two individuals have gone above and beyond doesn't begin to highlight their contributions to In-Training and Atlanta Track Club in 2023.
We'll start by sharing just a few of the ways both have impacted In-Training and Atlanta Track Club in 2023.
- Both were Run Leads -and- Crew Chiefs for In-Training for 2023 Publix Atlanta Marathon Weekend.
- Both were Run Leads -and- Crew Chiefs for 2023 In-Training for Peachtree.
- Both were Run Leads -and- Crew Chiefs for 2023 In-Training for Fall Marathons and 2023 In-Training for Invesco QQQ Thanksgiving Day half Marathon.
- Both were Run Leads for multiple In-Training locations throughout 2023.
- Both invested in themselves and their coaching knowledge by becoming In-Training Certified Coaches.
The cumulative number of hours these two individuals have served In-Training and Atlanta Track Club in 2023 doesn't add up to days, it adds up to many weeks. Similarly, the number of miles these two individuals have run with and coached In-Training athletes doesn't add up to a marathon, they add up to the longest of ultra marathons and then some.
These run leads are two of the kindest, hardest working, servant leaders one could hope to work alongside.
Fellow runners, walkers, volunteers, sponsors, Atlanta Track Club supporters and enthusiasts, it is our distinct honor and privilege to recognize and celebrate this year's Run Leads of Year: Luke Butler and Cathy Stephens!
