GORHAM, Maine – The University of Southern Maine Department of Athletics has announced that Cindy Hazelton, the Director of Gorham Parks and Recreation, is the recipient of the 2025 David F. Drew III Service Award. The Drew Award is given annually by the Department of Athletics to someone who distinguishes themselves with volunteer service to the athletic department.
 
Hazelton has been a key figure in the development of the strong relationship between the University and the Town of Gorham. Since becoming the Director of Gorham Parks and Recreation in 1991, Hazelton has worked tirelessly to create recreational opportunities for the residents of Gorham. Those opportunities include several collaborations between USM Athletics and Gorham Parks and Recreation. 
 
Working with then-Athletic Director Al Bean, Hazelton helped develop the annual Gorham Marketplace event early into her career. The event served as a spring showcase of local businesses and was held in Hill Gym before eventually moving into the field house of the Costello Sports Complex in later years.
 
The event was one of the first to bring together the campus and the community and helped lay the groundwork for many future partnerships and events, including Husky Community Halloween parties, Town of Gorham Nights at USM home games, and the annual Skate with the Huskies event with the USM ice hockey teams. Gorham Parks and Recreation has also provided free ice skate rentals at the annual Skate with the Huskies event in addition to numerous other open skating events at the USM Ice Arena. These events are popular with both the USM student-athletes and the members of the community and have helped build strong relationships between the Town and the Athletic Department.
 
The Halloween parties have served as a way for the USM student-athletes to connect with the youth of the community while also joining in on the fun themselves. A collaboration between Gorham Parks and Recreation and the Huskies' Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), the event has been a favorite of Husky student-athletes, who coordinate themed costumes for their respective sports team and put on events and games for the attendants. The event has also earned SAAC recognition on the national level for their community involvement efforts. Town of Gorham Nights allow youth sports teams in the community to come cheer on the Huskies and showcase their skills at halftime during basketball games in Hill Gym.
 
From campus venues like Hill Gym and the Ed Flaherty Field, to off-campus sites like Robie Park and the Claire Drew Trails, the collaborations between Gorham Parks and Recreation and the USM Athletic Department have been tremendously successful and have created lasting memories for members of the Gorham community.
 
Hazelton is an Aroostook County native and graduate of the University of Maine at Presque Isle with a degree in Recreation and Leisure Services. She will receive the award as part of the 39^th Annual Husky Hall of Fame Banquet and Induction Ceremony on Sunday, October 5 (5:00 pm) at the Italian Heritage Center in Portland, Maine presented by Gorham House of Pizza.