The Albert Schweitzer Fellowship of Alabama (ASF) announced today the establishment of the inaugural City Gear Starting Five Awards. Made possible by a generous donation from City Gear, the awards recognize community leaders who embrace and embody resilience, passion, perspective, purpose and mentorship. These awards were born from City Gear’s desire to support nonprofit organizations like the Schweitzer Fellowship that develop and inspire students and community leaders to embrace hard work, promote teamwork, amplify marginalized voices and empower service to others.

The City Gear Starting Five Awards include: 

• The City Gear Pivot Award – recognizing a Schweitzer student fellow who responds to adversity with resilience, embraces failure as an opportunity for growth and leans into challenges and setbacks with strength and perseverance. 2025 City Gear Pivot Award Winner: Jamal Rasheed, 2024-25 Schweitzer Fellow and University of Montevallo graduate student.
• The City Gear Sole Reason Award – recognizing a Schweitzer Fellow community project born from passion and personal experience that stood out for its ingenuity, originality and creativity and serves as an inspiration for future projects. 2025 City Gear Sole Reason Award Winner: Elizabeth “Liz” Perry, 2024-25 Schweitzer Fellow and UAB School of Nursing graduate student.
• The City Gear In Their Shoes Award – recognizing a Schweitzer Community Advisory Board member who advises and encourages student fellows, contributing insight and lived experience to ensure each service project is poised for maximum success, impact and sustainability. 2025 City Gear In Their Shoes Award Winner: Jackson Dean, Research and Data Manager, Rev Birmingham, and advisor to 2024-25 Schweitzer Fellows Ethan Madison and Faris Zaibaq.
• The City Gear Walk the Talk Award – recognizing a Schweitzer Fellow for Life alum who continues in the spirit of the program by excelling in efforts to reach underserved individuals and communities in their work and volunteer efforts. 2025 City Gear Walk the Talk Award Winner: Meghan Pattison, NP, RN, UAB School of Nursing graduate and Alabama Schweitzer Fellow for Life 2017-18, and Chief Clinical Officer, Christ Health Center (Woodlawn, AL).
• City Gear Be the Impact Behind the Footprint Award – recognizing a mentor to a Schweitzer Fellow who gave of their time to guide and mold students into passionate and impactful leaders. 2025 City Gear Be the Impact Behind the Footprint Award Winner: Lydia Pickett, former Executive Director (retired), Mid-Alabama Coalition for the Homeless (Montgomery, AL), and mentor to 2024-25 Schweitzer Fellow Eileen Knott. 

Winners will be highlighted weekly throughout March, along with the key attributes they displayed that led to their recognition. 

“City Gear is pleased to partner with the Schweitzer Fellowship to recognize individuals who are going above and beyond in service to their community,” said Brown Kelley, Director of Marketing, City Gear. “This award was a natural way for us to demonstrate our commitment to support creative partnerships and initiatives like the Schweitzer Fellowship program that promote and inspire leadership, service, being a team player, going the extra mile and bettering one’s community and the lives of others.”

“We are thrilled to recognize these outstanding individuals who truly embody the spirit of these awards,” said Kimberly Eaton,  Executive Director of ASF of Alabama. “Working with generous local companies like City Gear has allowed us to think outside the box in how we recognize excellence in a way that motivates others to live lives marked by resilience, passion and purpose, while taking into account the perspectives of others and learning from the mentorship of leaders who have blazed the trail before you. Thank you to Brown Kelley and the entire Hibbett/City Gear team for partnering with us to honor these outstanding individuals.”