COLONIA, N.J. – The East Coast Conference has announced the recipient for the Community Engagement Award of Excellence with D'Youville University Athletics receiving the award for Ralph Wilson Park Conservancy Playground Build.
 
This past September, D'Youville Athletics partnered with the Ralph Wilson Conservancy Park to build a new playground on Buffalo's West Side. Over a three-day period, D'Youville student-athletes contributed more than 250 service hours working side by side with neighbors to mix concrete, assemble playground equipment, paint, and landscape. Their efforts brought to life an inclusive and engaging space that will soon welcome families, children, and community members from across Buffalo.

When the playground officially opened just weeks later, 75 additional student-athletes attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony, celebrating alongside the families and children whose lives will be enriched by this new community space. D'Youville's project strengthened student-athletes lessons in leadership, empathy, and civic engagement.
 
D'Youville earned national recognition, being named an at-large finalist for the 2026 NCAA Division II Award of Excellence. This award highlights initiatives that exemplifies the Division II philosophy of community engagement and student-athlete leadership. D'Youville was one of 26 Division II institutions and one conference to be nominated for the award.