The 2021 Mark Burlingame Dutchmen Spirit Award winner is Caroline Burns.

Co-presented by the Lettermen Foundation and Troy Miller and Christopher McCabe of CM Fox Real Estate, the Dutchmen Spirit Award is named for former Lettermen board member and Guilderland High School three-sport star athlete Mark Burlingame.

Caroline earned six varsity letters in cross country and indoor and outdoor track, serving as captain in each of those three sports. A National Honor Society member and officer, she’s won numerous awards for her academics including the Board of Education Award and AP Scholar. Caroline has been a teen ambassador for Ronald McDonald Hour, a camp counselor at Tawasentha and volunteered at area running events.

She joins her sister, Emily, who won a Lettermen Award in 2015.

The Dutchmen Spirit award is named in honor and memory of one of Guilderland’s all time greatest athletes. “Burls” excelled in soccer, track, basketball and especially baseball, where he played professionally in the Yankees organization. But it was through his kindness, character, positive spirit and loving nature that he touched all who knew him. The award in his name annually goes to a student-athlete who has demonstrated the highest qualities of true Dutch spirit and sportsmanship; a person who gives unselfishly of time and talents for the benefit of others. The award is chosen by the high school coaching staff.

As part of Caroline’s nomination portfolio, one coach said, “she was all about supporting her teammates. They came first. She knew every kid and had kind words of support. She has improved every year that she was on the team, which is awesome for the younger athletes to see that hard work pays off.”

Caroline will attend Fairfield University in the fall.

Photo credit: Mike Koff/Altamont Enterprise

Maria Dean is the 2020 Mark Burlingame Dutchmen Spirit Award winner.

The prestigious Burlingame award, co-presented by Troy Miller and Christopher McCabe of CM Fox Real Estate, is named for former Lettermen board member and Guilderland High School three-sport star athlete Mark Burlingame.

The award recognizes a student-athlete who’s demonstrated the highest qualities of Dutchmen spirit and sportsmanship.

Maria played both tennis and softball during her Dutchmen career, and was also heavily involved Guilderland’s unified bowling and basketball teams. She joined the Best Buddies program in 6th grade and participated in it throughout high school. She is a leader in Students for Inclusion Club (aka Youth Activation Committee), which works to create opportunities for social inclusion within the Guilderland Schools.

The award is named in honor and memory of one of Guilderland’s all time greatest athletes. “Burls” excelled in soccer, track, basketball and especially baseball, where he played professionally in the Yankees organization. But it was through his kindness, character, positive spirit and loving nature that he touched all who knew him. The award in his name annually goes to a student-athlete who has demonstrated the highest qualities of true Dutch spirit and sportsmanship; a person who gives unselfishly of time and talents for the benefit of others. The award is chosen by the high school coaching staff.

In Maria’s nomination letter, one of her coaches said “She has undoubtedly enhanced the GHS experience for so many of her teammates. Maria lives the values of this award and is so deserving of this recognition.”

She will attend Bentley College in the fall.

Guilderland High School senior student-athlete Sidra Hasan is the 2019 Mark Burlingame Dutchmen Spirit Award. 

The award, which is co-sponsored and co-presented with C.M. Fox Real Estate,  is named in honor and memory of one of Guilderland’s all time greatest athletes, Mark “Burls” Burlingame. The winner is determined by the high school coaching staff, and presented to a student-athlete who has demonstrated the highest qualities of true Dutch spirit and sportsmanship, a person who gives unselfishly of time and talents for the benefit of others.

This follows the example set by Burls. He excelled in soccer, track, basketball and especially baseball, where he played professionally in the Yankees organization. But, it was through his kindness, character, positive spirit and loving nature that he touched all who knew him.

Ms. Hasan is a member of the National Honor Society and is a Board of Education award winner, which recognizes students who carry a 95+ average. She played lacrosse and ran cross country. In October of 2018, she was one of four students chose to meet with Nobel Prize winner Dr. James P. Allison of MD Anderson Cancer Center, a noted immunotherapy researcher.  She will be attending Union College in the fall.

“Sidra gives her 110% effort at every game and practice and never fails to bring less,” said Guilderland lacrosse teammate Jackie Ding. “Every day she is constantly putting others before herself and truly does everything for the betterment of the team as a whole- not just for herself. She’s always the first and last to give words of encouragement to others even when circumstances aren’t in our favor. She is honestly the most ideal teammate and person.”

Ms. Hasan joins 2018 selection Laura Beth Mulligan (Union),  2017 winner Hayley Kmack (Siena) and 2016 honoree Andrew Sischo (Daeman) as those who have received this prestigious honor and cash award.

Photo (l-r): Troy Miller, owner, C.M. Fox Real Estate, Sidra Hasan, Mark Williams, president, Guilderland Lettermen Foundation