Being a present figure on the campus of Michigan State University in the Department of Family Studies, teaching courses in the counseling, educational psychology and special education departments, Dunkel-Jackson – the director of the Hockey Challenge Camp – has been embedded within the sport for years and has earned rightful recognition by the hockey community worldwide. 

“This just means a lot to me to know that I’m helping out my community and that this program in particular, not just me because I have an amazing team, but this program helps our community,” Dunkel-Jackson said.

Starting the organization meant allowing for those to receive equal opportunity, much like what Willie O’Ree – who was the first black man to play in the National Hockey League – did for the sport. Both the Hockey Challenge Camp and the Baseball Challenge League were designed to help children with different medical and learning needs play a sport, just like every other kid their age obtains the opportunity to do.

The organization was not actually started in hockey. It began five years ago with the Baseball Challenge League, a program that started kicking down the walls of diversity and allowed for kids to receive equal opportunity to play ball.

“We had created, it’s called the Baseball Challenge League in our community. I’m on the board of our community program, and we created a program where kids with unique medical and learning needs could play baseball with their buddies,” Dunkel-Jackson said.

After reviewing the results of the camp turnout from the baseball program after two years in the making, Dunkel Jackson’s son, Cale, asked if hockey was something that they could start. To that, Sarah said “Great, let’s try it.” With a support group surrounding them, hockey was officially off the ground and running.

“Cale had his travel hockey coaches, who are awesome, and they agreed to help out,” Dunkle-Jackson said. “Yeah, we just made it happen at our rink in our community and then Munn Ice Arena allowed us to have our final game in the really great stadium there.”

Since the beginning just five years ago, the numbers have seen a tremendous upwards trend. Having supple amounts of signups and now a registration for the children to fill out, the camp has broken barriers and continues to make waves in the hockey community.

“We have a registration going on now and we have way more than we have in the past, so we’re really excited,” Duckel-Jackson said. “It’s grown by the players with unique medical needs and learning needs, but it’s also grown by the number of hockey buddies that we have and coaches.”

With Michigan as a state known for its hockey history with national championship winning college programs, the 11-time Stanley Cup Champion Detroit Red Wings, and the home of USA Hockey, bringing this award nomination to her home state puts the cherry right on top.

“MSU is a powerhouse in hockey and Michigan in general is – the state of Michigan. There are so many hockey teams and so many opportunities for some kids to play hockey,” Duckel-Jackson said. “And I just want every kid to have that chance, including kiddos with unique medical needs and learning needs.”

“I mean, we have some players who their older brothers, their uncles, their dads play, their moms play, but they have never had a chance to actually be on a team and so this is their chance to also get an opportunity to play such a fun sport.”

Winning the award granted her a $25,000 donation to a charity of choice and also allows for the organization to receive more publicity. One goal that Dunkel-Jackson has in mind is buying more adaptive equipment, such as sleds for the children who need them in order to partake in sled hockey.

To continue to be able to run the programs and help out the community means the world to Dunkel-Jackson. The future of the Hockey Challenge Camp and Baseball Challenge League remains bright in her eyes.

“I just love seeing that children have an opportunity to play sports, and that's every child,” Dunkel-Jackson said. “Every child should have a chance to participate and be part of a team and this gives them that opportunity to do it in a safe and supportive kind of setting.”