The Chick-fil-A restaurant in Egg Harbor Township and veteran ACS faculty member Pam Hitchner were recognized and honored as the 2017 recipients of the ACS Servant’s Heart Award at the Legacy Gala on March 31. ACS Board of Directors Chair Doug Pearson presented a plaque to each recipient during the Gala program. The award was established in 2002 to recognize the valuable service of individuals and businesses that have provided their time, talents, and expertise to advance the mission of Atlantic Christian School.
Pearson praised Chick-fil-A and its owner Mrs. Amy McCloy-Miles for the restaurant’s focus on giving back to the community. “Atlantic Christian School and many other schools and organizations have been blessed by Chick-fil-A’s generosity,” Pearson said. He noted that Chick-fil-A has donated chicken sandwich meals, complimentary food cards, and a portion of its sales from “Spirit Nights” at the restaurant to the ACS Missions Club, Boy Scout Troop 389, the Parent-Teacher Fellowship, and other school organizations. Pearson also said that since its opening in 2011 Chick-fil-A has given many young people in the community, including ACS students, valuable work experience through employment at the restaurant.
Pearson thanked Mrs. Hitchner for her dedication with a servant’s heart during her 16 years as an ACS PE teacher, basketball coach, and mentor to hundreds of students and young athletes. “Her passion has been teaching young people the game of basketball and through it, about the larger game of life, about putting Christ at the center of whatever they do,” Pearson said. “She always has gone above and beyond her regular school schedule to make a difference in the lives of our students.” Over her coaching career at ACS, Mrs. Hitchner has posted 252 wins and led the ACS Varsity Girls’ Basketball team to six Tri-State Christian Atlantic Conference championships, including one this year. Last month, she was named the Varsity Girls’ Basketball Coach of the Year by the Tri-State Christian Athletic Conference. Two years ago, she was named Coach of the Year by the National Christian School Athletic Association and her alma mater, Summit College, has inducted her in its Hall of Fame.