Springfield, Ohio — Even before Conor O'Rourke, class of 2011 from Mendham, N.J., arrived at Wittenberg University, he had discovered a passion for helping citizens of the impoverished Caribbean nation of Haiti. O'Rourke's on-going volunteer and fundraising efforts for the Haitian people, in combination with his athletic pursuits as a swimmer at Wittenberg, earned him a place on the list of semifinalists for the 2010 Coach Wooden Citizenship Cup.
Named for John Wooden, the longtime UCLA men's basketball coach who is considered one of the most positive role models in the history of the NCAA, the Coach Wooden Citizenship Cup is presented annually by an organization called Athletes for a Better World to two distinguished athletes that best display character, teamwork and citizenship. O'Rourke was one of 13 nominees to earn semifinalist status, while five others are finalists. The winners will be announced in early 2011, according to award organizers.
O'Rourke, who is one of the Tigers' top competitors in the butterfly events, is one of just two NCAA Division III student-athletes to make the list, and he is the only small college student-athlete named to the list of semifinalists. The other is Denison University football player Daniel Crawford, who is one of the five finalists begin considered for the top two awards.
O'Rourke began doing volunteer work with orphaned boys in Haiti during his summer vacations as a high school student, and he has continued those efforts during various breaks from studies at Wittenberg. The devastation caused by a 7.0 earthquake in Haiti on Jan. 12, 2010, only increased his motivation, so he organized a fundraising event that became part of the first-ever "Hope For Haiti Weekend" at Wittenberg University less than a month later.
Conor O'Rourke with Dove, a patient at CRUDEM-Hospital Sacre Coeur in Milot, Haiti, in June 2010.
A history major at Wittenberg, O'Rourke organized a concert titled "In Harmony for Haiti" on Feb. 6 that featured performances by Wittenberg a cappella groups Wittmen Crew and Just Eve, a raffle and a T-shirt sale. All proceeds went to CRUDEM-Hopital Sacre Coeur, one of many overwhelmed medical facilities operating in parts of Haiti not directly impacted by the earthquake.
He returned to Haiti in May 2010 to volunteer at CRUDEM-Hopital Sacre Coeur for nearly three months, helping to develop infrastructure for the hospital by installing renewable energy sources to generate the freshwater pumps, and also working alongside physical and occupational therapists who are rehabilitating earthquake victims by building walkers for injured children.
Click here to read O'Rourke's first-person account of his summer 2010 volunteer experiences.
O'Rourke's first experience volunteering in Haiti was organized by teachers at the Canterbury School in Milford, Conn., where O'Rourke attended high school. But he hasn't limited his efforts to the Haitian people, teaching kindergarten in a small fishing village in the African nation of Ghana in 2006, working with his Wittenberg fraternity to organize an ice cream social fundraiser for victims of persecution in the Darfur region of Sudan in 2008 and raising money for cancer research with his swimming and diving teammates through the annual Ted Mullin Leave it in the Pool, Hour of Power Relay each of the last four years.
Along the way, O'Rourke was voted Most Improved Swimmer by his teammates following the 2007-08 season and Most Dedicated following the 2008-09 season. He has earned the respect of his teammates and coaches, both for his humanitarian pursuits and his efforts in the pool.
"In his four years at Wittenberg, Conor has not only grown into a top-performing athlete, but he has become a top-notch leader as well," wrote his coach, Natalie Koukis, in her nomination letter. "He has proven himself to his teammates as someone who will always be there for them in and out of the athletic arena.
"He is always willing to listen to concerns of teammates and always can provide the kind of resources they need from a leader, whether that is someone to listen or someone to challenge them. He provides education to those who need more information, support to those who are in need and enthusiasm for sport and athlete alike."