Merriam Park Instructional Coach Honored as Sporting Samaritan

Dustin Springer displays a Sporting KC jersey with his name on it.
Shawnee Mission School District

Dustin Springer, instructional coach at Merriam Park Elementary School, was honored as a Sporting Samaritan.

The honor, presented by Sporting KC and Blue Cross of Blue Shield of Kansas City is given to recognize teachers and students who make the community a better place to live, work, and play.

“Dr. Springer is making an incredible impact at Merriam Park Elementary,” Christina Lively, department vice president, marketing and communications, Blue KC, said in a press release. “Not only is he helping students and their families make a positive change in their communities, he also is helping them develop into upstanding young men and women. We are pleased to honor him as a Blue KC Sporting Samaritan."

Springer was honored for the many ways he helps students at Merriam Park connect with the community and vice versa. He works with the local police department to help facilitate positive relationships between students and officers and arranges school-wide service projects that allow both students and their families to make a positive impact on their communities.

Some of the projects Sporting KC and Blue Cross highlighted included his  organization of “Bears Care” packages for members of the military, painting kindness rocks to spread throughout the community and making bookmarks for Literacy KC.

Sporting Samaritans are honored in a ceremony on the field and receive tickets and prizes from Sporting KC.  

 

Dustin Springer displays a Sporting KC jersey with his name on it.
Dustin Springer on the SportingKC field with his family.