Even though the COVID canceled the 2021 Block F Awards Dinner it will not stop us from recognizing the outstanding student-athletes from 2020-2021. As we did last year, instead of gathering in the historic Rose Hill Gym each winner will be honored online, from team MVPs to all the special award winners. We know that it's not the same, but we want all the student-athletes to know that we thank you for your hard work and dedication.

Bronx, N.Y. – Today we start with the 2021 Block F Special Awards, beginning with women's basketball graduate student Edona Thaqi, winner of the Kiwanis Community Service Award, and senior Emmanuel Berbari, who won his third straight Marty Glickman Award.
 
Kiwanis Community Service Award
 
Fordham Kiwanis is part of a worldwide service organization that is committed to improving the quality of life through volunteer action.  The members of Fordham Kiwanis, comprised of university faculty, staff, and administrators, wish to recognize student-athletes who not only excel in academics and in their respective sports, but who are also committed to working in community service activities.
 
Thaqi did not let a season-ending injury stop her from being a regular attendee of community service events. She participated in various events with the Jesuits at Murray-Weigel including ice cream and zooms with the Jesuits throughout school year. She also volunteered at Read-To-Me celebrations for Bronx elementary schools. Thaqi also is a POTs volunteer and she will be volunteering with the Women's Sports Foundation this summer.
 
Thaqi serves as the Fordham women's basketball social media intern, helping manage all social media accounts and come up with creative ideas to create brand awareness and build a bigger fan base. She also created a promotion to help raise funds for assistant Coach Sonia Cancer to help offset her medical bills.
 
As part of the reward, a $50 donation to St. Jude's Make a Difference with Loukoumi Reading Room in Thaqi's name. The donation was matched by Tom and Rosemary DeJulio from the Kiwanis Club.
 
 
Marty Glickman Award
 
The Marty Glickman Award is presented to the WFUV student play-by-play announcer who best follows the examples taught by Hall of Fame broadcaster Marty Glickman. The award honors the memory of Marty Glickman, who was the broadcast coach at WFUV from 1987-99.
 
For the first time in the history of the award we have a three-time Glickman award winner. Emmanuel Berbari has displayed his talents, both in person and on Zoom interviews, in 2020-2021. Serving as the main play-by-play voice for WFUV Sports, he broadcasted numerous basketball, football, baseball, and softball contests. He also served as the host of Running Ram[pant, a show produced to Fordham Athletics for BronxNet, a local cable access channel, and hosted a number of interviews with members of the incoming Athletic Hall of Fame class as well as other former student-athletes to provide fresh content for Fordham athletics' social media channels.