Two fallen members of the athletics community at UB were honored by fellow athletes and administrators during ceremonies Sunday on North Campus.
The crew team dedicated their regatta against Eastern Michigan Sunday morning to Nan Harvey, the associate athletics director and senior women's athletic administrator who died last fall after a battle with cancer.
Later in the day, the crew team participated in a tree dedication for their teammate, Christine Dickerson, who was a freshman on the team when she was killed in a car accident in December 2002.
Crew team member Sara Sheffer participated in the Harvey Cup and later spoke at the 15-minute memorial ceremony and tree dedication for Dickerson.
Sheffer said the team felt it was important to create their own memorial to Dickerson in addition to the family's memorial on campus, which is located on the Amherst Bike Trail behind the dorm Dickerson lived in as a freshman.
"This was from the student athletes as a whole," said Sheffer. "It's nice to see something living in her testimony."
The tree was purchased by the Student Athletic Advisory Committee, a group of UB's Division I athletes.
The tree, a weeping cherry tree, was planted with a small plaque which read "In loving memory of Chrisy Dickerson, our eternal drive" and had a picture of oars with wings.
Sheffer spoke during the ceremony about the tradition of planting trees in memory of those who have died.
In addition to Sheffer, Bill Ward, a family friend, spoke during the ceremony and a short prayer was offered by Father Pat Kelleher of Campus Ministries.
Also at the ceremony, No Results, a UB student band, played a CD of a song they wrote and dedicated to Dickerson.
Mike Jeswald, the drummer of No Results, wrote the song "Chrisy D" shortly after Dickerson's death. He lived near Dickerson in the Ellicott Complex and had several classes with her.
"(Her death) just affected me really much. It hit me really hard," said Jeswald. "(The song) came together really fast because I had so many feelings ready to come out."
Jeswald said he contacted Dickerson's family shortly after her death and told them he was writing a song and later shared a copy with them.
"It made something intangible into a CD so it can be passed on," said Jeswald. "It something we really wanted to do."
Shawn Dickerson, Christine's brother, said her family was pleased at the athletic department's gesture.
"It's comforting that after a year, people still care and want to show their appreciation," he said.
Dickerson added he was also pleased the otherwise-rainy weather cooperated with the ceremony.
"It was very nice. It was kind of funny how it was supposed to rain all day, but the rain stopped for the whole ceremony," he said. "And then two minutes after the ceremony was over, it started raining again."
