The local ABC affiliate focused on the presentation of the inaugural Chris Edwards II '18 Award for Sports Journalism on Thursday, April 20, at the awards School of Communications awards ceremony.
A new report by ABC45 is lifting up the memory of the late Chris Edwards II ’18, whose family recently established a new School of Communications award and scholarships to honor the legacy of the Elon alumnus.
ABC45 reporter Justin Berger was on hand Thursday night for the annual School of Communications award ceremony, which saw Chase Williams ’23 presented with the inaugural Christopher Edwards II ’18 Award for Sports Journalism. Edwards’s family including his father, Dr. Christopher Edwards, were on hand for the event.
“He believed in everyone,” Chris’s father told Berger before the event got underway. “He believed that there was goodness in everyone. He believed that there was an intersection among life between people.”
The award was presented by Assistant Professor of Cinema and Television Arts Max Negin, who worked closely with Edwards during his time at Elon. Given his outgoing nature and his connections across campus, Edwards was affectionately referred to by his friends as “The Mayor of Elon.”
“You think of a mayor, you think of someone who’s well versed in lots of different areas,” said Negin. “He had this passion for sports, but there would be these moments where I would ask him can you help me out with this or that and he’d say I can’t because I have band practice and I’d forget like oh ya this guy’s in the marching band too.”
Along with the new annual award, the family created two Christopher Edwards II ’18 Elon Engagement Scholarships that are designated for incoming students who plan to study in the School of Communications and display a commitment to community and civic engagement, leadership and service. Elon Engagement Scholars are awarded a scholarship, renewable annually, and a one-time grant to be used for an engaged learning opportunity, which might include undergraduate research, study abroad, internships, service learning and creative projects.
Watch Berger’s report to learn more about the impact that Edwards had on the Elon community.