Calgary Stampeders receiver Marken Michel received the 2024 Herm Harrison Memorial Award for his work in the community. The annual honour recognizes a player whose service extends the team’s public role beyond performance on the football field.
Michel’s community work
Michel took part in most of the Stampeders’ organized community programmes during his fifth season with the club. That included Every Yard Counts, through which players visit the Alberta Children’s Hospital on the evening before each home game.
He also supported the Calgary Food Bank, PinkPower and KidsPlay, appeared at community and cultural events, and shared football experience through a Learn to Play flag-football camp for children aged five to 15. Visits to minor-football games and practices connected professional sport with young players learning the game.
His service was not limited to team-arranged appearances. On multiple occasions, Michel led groups of teammates into downtown Calgary to distribute food and water to people in need.
Why sustained participation matters
A single appearance can attract attention, but continuity is what makes a community programme useful. Hospital visits require sensitivity and consistency; youth camps depend on preparation and safe instruction; food support should respect the dignity of recipients rather than turn hardship into publicity.
The award recognized Michel’s energy across several causes rather than claiming that one athlete solved the underlying problems of illness, poverty or unequal access to sport. Community organizations provide the long-term expertise, and players can use their visibility to strengthen that work.
The legacy behind the award
The honour is named for Herm “Ham Hands” Harrison, one of the leading receivers in Stampeders history. Harrison played for Calgary from 1964 through 1972 after beginning as a linebacker and moving to tight end.
He was selected as a Western all-star six times and a Canadian Football League all-star three times. Harrison led the Western Conference in receptions in 1969 and 1970 and tied for the lead in 1971. He was part of Calgary’s 1971 Grey Cup championship team.
After retiring, Harrison remained in Calgary and supported numerous causes, with Special Olympics among those particularly associated with his service. He entered the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1993 and died in November 2013 at age 74.
An award designed for service
The Stampeders instituted the memorial award after Harrison’s death. Club records list Rob Cote as the first recipient in 2013 and Michel as the 2024 winner. The purpose is distinct from statistical awards: it asks how a player uses time, visibility and relationships to contribute to the city.
That distinction matters in professional sport, where public attention usually follows touchdowns, contracts and standings. Recognizing service signals to players and supporters that reliability in the community is also part of representing a team.
Impact should remain accountable
Sports organizations can strengthen such programmes by reporting participation, partner feedback and durable outcomes rather than only counting appearances. Privacy is especially important in hospitals, and photos or stories involving children should be shared only with appropriate consent.
Award selections also benefit from clear criteria: sustained involvement, initiative, respect for partner organizations and evidence that the work met a real need. Those standards keep recognition from becoming a popularity contest.
Michel’s selection reflected a broad pattern of service—supporting hospitalized children, food-security work, youth sport and community events. The most fitting continuation of Harrison’s legacy is not the trophy itself, but the expectation that professional athletes remain present and useful in the community that supports them.
