Seattle City Wire

Seattle Parks and Recreation is #ParkProud to announce that Recreation leader Buck Buchannan is the 2022 recipient of the John C. Little, Sr. Spirit Award for his dedication to improving the lives of Seattle teens.John C. Little, Sr. served the community as a member of the Seattle Board of Park Commissioners from 1990-1997 and was known for his careful consideration of how proposed policies would affect youth. His motto was, “In order to improve the life of all people, you must improve the life of young people.” Buck demonstrates that motto every day in his interaction with teens both in his role as a Recreation Leader at High Point Community Center and outside of work.

Buck has been mentoring youth for over 20 years as a Recreation Leader, Foster Parent, and Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) basketball coach for boys and girls. Buck has helped approximately 100 young men and women to graduate high school and attend colleges all over the country. He has helped young people achieve their personal and professional dreams by assisting in finding tutors, helping with filling out paperwork/college applications, reaching out to universities and college coaches, and securing sponsorships so that all youth on his teams can afford to travel and be seen by recruiters. Buck has also helped support teens by sending sports video footage along to his coach connections all over the country to make sure a talent he is working with gets noticed for important scholarship offers. Buck sets an example of excellence and hard work for anyone and everyone he works with.

“I am so pleased to shine light on the incredible contributions of Buck Buchannan and his impact on the community. Sports like basketball not only provide young people with a healthy outlet and way to connect with others, but also support life skills like teamwork, commitment, communication, the pursuit of goals, and the importance of practice. Buck has gone above and beyond to support the kids he coaches, and he has played an integral role in supporting healthy people and a vibrant community in the High Point neighborhood and beyond,” said AP Diaz, Seattle Parks and Recreation Superintendent.

This is the 20th year that Seattle Parks and Recreation has awarded the John C. Little, Sr. Spirit Award. Past recipients of this award include Chukundi Salisbury, Pat Warberg, Elaine Dunn, Don Ganchorre, Dennis Cook, Tom Ostrom, Isiah Anderson, Patti Petesch, Folasa Titialii, Jr., Royal Alley-Barnes, Ron Mirabueno, Willie Rogers, Dave Gilbertson, Jean Lee, Johnnie Williams, John Hasslinger, Damien Hicks, and Daisy Catague.

Original source can be found here.