Camosun College receives 2026 CCAA Innovation Award
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The Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) is proud to announce that Camosun College is the recipient of the 2026 CCAA Innovation Award. The award recognizes outstanding creativity, forward-thinking, and leadership within the CCAA. This year's competition featured an impressive collection of submissions from member institutions across the country, showcasing the innovative approaches being used to strengthen collegiate athletics and campus communities. Camosun College earned national recognition for its "Second Chance: Chargers Jersey Recycle" initiative, a creative program that transformed decades of retired athletic uniforms into opportunities for sustainability, community engagement, and school pride. Faced with the challenge of responsibly managing more than 35 years of retired Chargers basketball, volleyball, and golf uniforms, the athletics department sought an alternative to simply discarding nearly 2,000 jerseys that represented generations of student-athletes and countless memories. Rather than viewing the collection as waste, Camosun College saw an opportunity to create something meaningful. The initiative began with a Chargers Garage Sale, giving current student-athletes the chance to claim pieces of program history for themselves, their families, and friends. The response was overwhelmingly positive, with approximately 70 student-athletes participating and many jerseys quickly finding new homes. Building on that momentum, Camosun introduced Retro Nights, where current Chargers athletes wore vintage jerseys during pre-game warmups while fans and supporters had the opportunity to acquire retired uniforms through donation-based sales. The events generated strong community interest and created a unique connection between past and present generations of Chargers athletes. The project extended beyond athletics through a partnership with the college's MakerSpace. Retired jerseys were repurposed into reusable bags, fitted shirts, and other products, providing a second life for apparel that might otherwise have ended up in landfill. The collaboration also highlighted the intersection of creativity, sustainability, and hands-on learning by connecting athletics with broader campus programming. What set the initiative apart was its ability to turn a routine operational challenge into a meaningful and lasting program. More than 1,000 jerseys and over 25 bins of athletic apparel were successfully diverted from landfill through reuse and recycling efforts. At the same time, the initiative generated new opportunities for community engagement, strengthened the Chargers brand, and created a visible celebration of the institution's athletic history. The impact extended well beyond sustainability. Current student-athletes gained a deeper appreciation for the legacy of Chargers Athletics, while alumni were able to reconnect with memories from their collegiate careers. The sight of supporters wearing jerseys from different eras became a powerful symbol of pride, tradition, and belonging within the Chargers community. The initiative also created practical benefits for the institution by freeing valuable campus storage space for academic programming while demonstrating leadership in environmental responsibility and community engagement. Through creativity, collaboration, and a commitment to finding value where others might have seen waste, Camosun College transformed a logistical challenge into an innovative initiative that strengthened connections across its campus community. For its forward-thinking approach and lasting impact, Camosun College is the deserving recipient of the 2026 CCAA Innovation Award. The 2026 CCAA Innovation Award was presented during the CCAA Annual General Meeting and Hall of Fame Gala on June 16 at Collège Montmorency in Laval, Quebec. |
