By Annie Renz
Getting involved within his community and providing an inclusive space for all people are two things that come naturally to Cam Mannion, a senior captain of Stonehill’s men’s ice hockey team.
When Mannion stepped foot on Stonehill’s campus freshman year, he actively sought out programs where he could pursue his passions in community service and helping those with diverse needs. He found a role within Stonehill Athletics’ Team Impact program.
Team Impact is a nonprofit organization that provides a supportive environment for children suffering from serious illnesses or disabilities by connecting them with a college athletic team. For the past thirteen years, Stonehill College has partnered with Team Impact and has matched twenty-eight children with a team.
Mannion has played a leading role over the last four years in developing Stonehill’s Team Impact program. As one of three Team Impact “fellows” on campus, Mannion serves as a liaison between Team Impact and Stonehill to help run the program on campus.
“Team Impact does their thing, but they don’t really have agents on campuses to run what they want to run. So, they have the Fellowship Program, and we get together every summer for three days overnight. They teach us all the ins and outs and give us resources to do our thing on our campuses for the year. After those three days we head into the year with a plan and basically run events, spread awareness, do all that sort of stuff,” said Mannion.
Because of his efforts and dedication to the Team Impact Program, Mannion received a nomination for the prestigious 2025 Hockey Humanitarian Award. This award recognizes college hockey’s top student-athlete who not only serves as a leader on their team but is a leader in their community.
“I was super pumped,” said Mannion, “it’s cool because you don’t do this stuff to get recognized for it, so it’s just a good plus when you get recognized and it makes you feel good that people see the good that you’re doing.”
David Berard, Stonehill men’s ice hockey head coach, saw how Mannion embodies what the award is all about.
“What’s impressed me the most with him is just the amount of time he obviously puts in with Team Impact, but also the care and the passion he has for helping people. I mean, he’s a special person… to know him, he has that special quality to give back and he does it so easily and freely. It’s almost like that’s his mission in life, to be there for others. It’s been incredible to witness firsthand” said Berard.
Mannion said his commitment to the Team Impact program has greatly impacted his time at Stonehill as it engages him in a space away from hockey and the classroom.
“It’s a big commitment but I enjoy it. It provides joy in my free time outside of my sport. It gives me a lot of perspective and provides me some time to get away from the hockey and the clipboard and just worry about what really matters in life and making a difference outside of that. It’s not something I have to do but it’s something I enjoy doing,” Mannion said.
Berard praised Mannion’s success at being present in the community while balancing being a Division 1 student-athlete.
“To be able to juggle being a student-athlete, doing well in class, being a Division 1 hockey player and to carve out the free time he does have outside of those obligations to give back and to be so engaged and so passionate about has been extremely impressive to watch,” said Berard.
Mannion’s passion for helping the community started long before he arrived at Stonehill. Mannion was about twelve years old when he got involved with the Challengers Baseball Program in his hometown, Dorchester, Massachusetts.
“I had close family friends, and their younger sister had Down Syndrome. From a very young age we were always hanging out with her and wherever we went, she followed. I got introduced to that environment at a young age. Her dad started up the Challengers Program to give her, her friends, and kids like her an opportunity to play sports and gain what me and my buddies gain from playing sports in being a part of a team since his daughter wasn’t a part of that yet,” said Mannion.
There was never a doubt that Mannion would help with Challengers.
“Obviously, there were no questions that me and all the boys were gonna take it and run with it. So, we started it up with him and I enjoyed it, every Sunday morning,” he said.
It was his work with the Challengers Program that Mannion said inspired him to search for opportunities like it when he arrived at Stonehill, and he found a place in Team Impact.
With his Hockey Humanitarian Award nomination, Mannion not only represents Stonehill, but the Boston area as well.
“It’s so cool to be, kinda, representing my town and my city on a nationwide level. When you look at all the winners of it, there’s no one from Dorchester and no one from Boston. I take a lot of pride in that, and I take a lot of pride in representing where I’m from,” said Mannion.
Berard spoke of the growing notoriety of the award as it has been given out for about ten years now. However, he said there is still work to be done to acknowledge athletes like Mannion whose stories have generated such a positive impact to their communities.
“It’s also one of those things that the people that are nominated for it and the stories of the people who win it probably should be more shared publicly and more widespread. To have someone in your program that is nominated for it, and I think has a legitimate chance to be a finalist, and to know what his story is and the impact he has on the people he works with is something that you should celebrate and highlight,” said Berard.
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