ALISO VIEJO, Calif. - Cal Poly Humboldt has been selected as the winner of the 2025-26 CCAA Cares Community Service Award following a campus-wide effort that added 432 individuals to the National Marrow Donor Program Registry.
 
The Cal Poly Humboldt Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) partnered with the National Marrow Donor Program from Feb. 10-13, 2026, to educate the campus community about bone marrow and blood stem cell donation. The 432 new registry members represented the highest total recorded by an NMDP drive in the United States during that period.
 
Working under the theme “Help Save a Life,” volunteers answered questions about the donation process and assisted participants with completing a cheek swab to join the registry. Each new registration increased the possibility of finding a match for a patient in need of potentially life-saving treatment.
 
The project brought together student-athletes and organizations from throughout the Cal Poly Humboldt campus. The Lumberjacks’ SAAC and women’s volleyball program were joined by Delta Phi Epsilon and Lambda Theta Phi Latin Fraternity in supporting the shared mission. Eight Cal Poly Humboldt athletic programs participated in the drive, combining to contribute numerous volunteer hours.
 
 
In addition to adding hundreds of potential donors, the drive raised awareness about stem cell and bone marrow donation while helping make the registration process more accessible to students, faculty, staff and members of the surrounding community. The collaboration also strengthened connections between student-athletes and other campus organizations.
 
“This is what it’s all about - being bigger than their sport, using their platform to give back and showing up for something that truly matters,” said Cal Poly Humboldt SAAC co-advisor and women’s volleyball assistant coach Tusalava Kuaea.
 
As part of the CCAA Cares initiative, the conference office will present Cal Poly Humboldt with a commemorative plaque and a $500 award. The annual honor recognizes the campus SAAC that develops the conference’s most innovative community service project, whether through a year of consistent contributions or one outstanding event.
 
The CCAA Cares program was established in 2022 to recognize and promote the significant community engagement efforts performed by CCAA student-athletes and athletic departments throughout the academic year.

Past CCAA Cares Community Service Award Winners
2024-25: Cal State San Bernardino
2023-24: San Francisco State
2022-23: San Francisco State