CBJ present Cam Atkinson with 2020-21 Community MVP Award

The Columbus Blue Jackets announced tonight that forward Cam Atkinson has been named the recipient of the club's 2020-21 Community MVP Award, which recognizes the player who best exemplifies service, dedication and leadership. The Columbus Blue Jackets Foundation will donate $5,000 to the charity or charities of Atkinson's choice in his name.
Each season, in addition to joining his teammates for visits to Nationwide Children's Hospital and the Mid-Ohio Food Collective, Atkinson has hosted numerous meet-and-greets at Nationwide Arena with kids and families in need of distraction from challenging circumstances. Away from the rink, the Atkinson family created the Force Network Fund (FNF), a patriotic tribute to the spirit of those who serve and protect our nation daily. Each year, the Force Network Fund hand selects 13 military and first responder charitable organizations to benefit. To date, Force Network Fund has donated $315,000 to support military and first responders. He also invested in youth hockey development in central Ohio through The Battery Hockey Academy, a skills academy.

A big proponent of the military, Atkinson organized Cam's Carnival in the summer of 2020, an event/fundraiser at The Battery Hockey Academy that raised $10,000 to benefit Operation Military Kids of Ohio and The Fallen 15. This past December, Cam and his wife, Natalie, adopted four local families who had loved ones preparing to leave for development over the holidays, purchasing gifts for the families, recording personal messages and having them delivered to the families by USO Ohio. During the Blue Jackets' Military Appreciation Night, presented by Elk + Elk, in April 2021, Atkinson presented the USO Ohio with a check for $5,013 to help support sending military kids to summer camp through Operation Military Kids.
In addition, Atkinson organized a virtual Force Network Fund 5K race in June 2020, and with the help of 656 participants, including many of his teammates, raised $40,313 to benefit the local OhioHealth Foundation. The funds supported the hospital to procure a rapid-response COVID-19 testing device. Prior to the start of the season, Atkinson partnered with a local company to organize a toy drive and food delivery for patients and frontline workers at Nationwide Children's Hospital in December.
Over the summer, Atkinson used his social media platforms to speak up about Black Lives Matter and made monetary donations to both NAACP Chapter of Columbus and The Conscious Kid Anti-Racist Children's Book Education Fund. Also, with numerous local businesses devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic, Atkinson took action to help the R Bar in the Arena District, a local establishment that is near-and-dear to the hearts of many Blue Jackets fans. The forward joined Cameo and offered personalized videos with the money raised by the initiative donated directly to the R Bar to help cover operating costs so that the establishment could remain open.
The team has recognized a player for outstanding community service since the 2002-03 season. Past winners are: 2002-03 - Tyler Wright; 2003-04 - Luke Richardson; 2005-06 - Manny Malhotra; 2006-07 - Jody Shelley; 2007-08 - Dan Fritsche; 2008-09 - Rick Nash; 2009-10 - R.J. Umberger; 2010-11 - Jared Boll; 2011-12 - Marc Methot; 2012-13 - Derek MacKenzie; 2013-14 - Derek MacKenzie; 2014-15 - Nick Foligno; 2015-16 - David Clarkson; 2016-17 - Nick Foligno; 2017-18 - Sergei Bobrovsky; 2018-19 - Nick Foligno; 2019-20 - Boone Jenner.