Leroux Named a Finalist for 2006 Hockey Humanitarian Award

Jan. 20, 2006

PRINCETON - The Hockey Humanitarian Foundation named Princeton Men's hockey senior goaltender Eric Leroux one of the seven finalists for the 2006 Hockey Humanitarian Award today. The Hockey Humanitarian Award annually honors college hockey's finest citizen and seeks to recognize college hockey players, Division I or Division III, male or female, who give back to their community in the true humanitarian spirit.

Leroux, who is currently enjoying his best season on the ice for Princeton, is involved in countless organizations and projects away from the rink.

Eric Leroux in Kenya during the summer.

In each of the past two summers, he has interned abroad. Last summer, he spent 10 weeks in Kenya working with the Foundation for Sustainable Development. While living in a remote village in a mud hut with no running water or electricity, Leroux worked as an HIV counselor and educator. He educated school children about sexually transmitted infections, specifically AIDS and HIV, and offered support, information and medication to those suffering from the diseases.

Leroux is the North American contact person for the Society for Orphans with AIDS Network. He recently proposed a $17,000 grant, which was accepted, for a rural medical clinic in the part of Kenya where he was working last summer.

The previous summer, Eric spent six weeks in Ecuador working in a community malaria clinic. He shadowed doctors and helped by examining and counseling patients. He also scrubbed in on multiple surgeries and helped address the patients' needs during their operations. As if the work in the clinic was not enough, he spent his spare time on the weekends helping to build a rehabilitation facility in the Amazon Jungle.

Leroux has also worked on several projects and been a part of several organizations while attending Princeton. He has been a Big Brother for the past two years for a 10-year old boy and he is the founder of the Princeton World Health Initiative. The group collects unused medical supplies from area hospitals and pharmaceutical companies and donates them to areas that are in need.

Last season founded a team initiative named PUCK (Providing Underprivileged Communities and Kids) that donates old equipment to youth hockey programs. Last season, they donated more than $5,000 worth of equipment to the Baltimore Youth Hockey Association and are currently collecting equipment for a shipment this season. He also volunteers on the ice with youth goaltenders in the area.

Leroux was selected as finalist, along with six others, from a pool of 18 nominees. The other athletes selected as finalists are:

Janelle Armitage, Sr., Connecticut
Eric Leroux, Sr., Princeton
Drew Miller, Jr., Michigan State
Mason Oakes, Sr., Lawrence
Jaime Sifers, Sr., Vermont
Chris Trick, Sr., Notre Dame
Lindsay Williams, Jr., Clarkson

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