Donnie’s volunteer work brings satisfaction, appreciation and a Jefferson Award

April 2007

Donnie Allen spends a lot of time at Clemson University’s Fike Recreation Center. As facilities coordinator for Fike, it’s his job to take care of the building. But Allen spends much of his free time at Fike as well, as a volunteer fitness trainer for many students and faculty.

Allen devotes the rest of his free time — such as it is — working with student athletes at Daniel High School on  weight training, rehab from injury and as a mentor. For this work, “Coach Donnie” has been recognized by WYFF News Channel 4 with a local Jefferson Award.

Allen came to Clemson as a freshman in 1976, leaving his hometown of Oviedo, Fla. He graduated from Clemson with a degree in secondary education in 1979, but after working as a student teacher, decided teaching was not the route he wanted to take, so he took a job at Clemson. After jobs in printing services and the student post office, he was hired at Fike in 1988 and has been there ever since.

It was athletic trainers in Clemson’s athletic department that turned him on to weight training. Allen is now a certified fitness trainer with the American Professional Fitness Association, a certification he must renew every two years. He said his work with students at Daniel High School “snowballed” after he started working with the track team. He soon started working with the basketball team and then other coaches were calling him to help with their teams, too.

“Once you help one person, you end up helping everybody,” he said with a laugh. “There’s never a dull moment.”

Allen now assists several coaches at games and works with students on weight training and even sports medicine.

“I try to keep them healthy and get them back on track after an injury,” he said. “When you’re 18 years old, you think you’re indestructible. I try to help them make better decisions.”

He said he enjoys seeing high school and college students excel and reach their goals.

“It is amazing how these kids can make you laugh and cry at the same time,” Allen said.

Allen’s reputation now precedes him, both on and off campus. He sometimes gets requests from coaches from other area high schools to help with projects, and he said he is often approached in Fike by someone looking for fitness advice.

“A lot of kids here, I don’t know who they are, but they know me,” he said.

Allen was nominated for his award by Daniel High School teacher Becky Bogan.

“Coach Donnie is a positive role model to all of our students through his selflessness and high standards, but he fills a void that many of them have by providing a positive African-American male role model,” she wrote in her nomination letter. “Many of these students do not have an adult male in their lives, and Coach Donnie is that and more.”

Allen said the award was a total surprise for him.

“You never think that what you do is that important to somebody other than yourself,” he said.

Jefferson Awards are given both locally and nationally. Five local Jefferson Awards are given by WYFF each year. National Jefferson Awards are given by the American Institute for Public Service. People are nominated based on their involvement in volunteer and community service. Out of all nominations nationwide, five are selected to receive the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Award for Greatest Public Service Benefiting Local Communities.