Champion Award
The Champion Award is an honor bestowed by the Bluecoats organization to a member of the Northeast Ohio Community whose leadership and service to the community through the arts, culture, and/or community leadership disciplines has positively impacted the Northeast Ohio community.
2023 Recipient
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President & CEO, National First Ladies’ Library
Canton Native and Bluecoats alumnus Patty Dowd Schmitz is the 2023 recipient of the Champion Award. This award, which was created to honor individuals whose leadership in the community through the arts and humanities has positively impacted the Northeast Ohio community, is the perfect honor for Patty. Recently, she was named the President & CEO of the National First Ladies’ Library, a point of pride for Canton and our community, and something that we at the Bluecoats organization are so very proud of!
Her discerning vision, knack for history, and dedication to her values will serve the First Ladies’ Library as well, as it has served the many organizations that she has lent her service to across Ohio, Illinois, Colorado, and Wisconsin. Recently she helped the Bluecoats organization celebrate our 50th Anniversary by producing and co-authoring the impeccable coffee table book 50 Years Of Excellence which chronicles the wonderful history of our organization.
Schmitz received her master of science in journalism from Northwestern University and her bachelor of science in journalism, with minors in American history and political science, also from Northwestern. She is a graduate of Hoover High School, and - in addition to her participation in the Bluecoats in the 80s - she is a former member of the Canton Symphony Chorus.
2022 Recipients
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Founder, Executive Director - EN-RICH-MENT
Few members of the Canton community have had a greater impact on this community’s youth than Betty Smith. After an incredible career run- ning a recovery home in Chicago for women and children, Betty’s “retirement” included founding, scaling, and operating En-Rich-Ment of Stark County, a gem of an institution that provides free after school and weekend performing arts and life skills classes to the youth of our community. On any given day, Betty can be found administering the nonprofit, teaching the kids, or advocating for the benefit of En-Rich-Ment. It is hard to understate just how much Betty works to improve her community through this program and through advocacy for everyone’s quality of life in Canton, OH. Bluecoats is especially proud of Betty’s work leading the En-Rich-Ment drumline, and watching young kids flourish behind a drum.
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President - Pro Football Hall of Fame
Jim Porter is the seventh president of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but his leadership in the arts, culture, and humanities in Canton and Northeast Ohio extends throughout his entire career. Before his work at the Hall of Fame, Jim was the publisher of the Canton Repository and even chaired the city’s Hall of Fame Enshrinement Festival. A long-time fan and advocate of the Bluecoats organization and other performing arts programs in Northeast Ohio, Jim has proven to be a passionate advocate of the benefits of performing arts and other cultural programs in the area. In fact, Jim was pivotal in the creation of Bluecoats Party in the Plaza in 2021, a new arts festival and free Bluecoats concert in downtown Canton. He was passionately engaged as a constituent and advocate of the Bluecoats organization as it returned from the canceled 2021 season.
