Jerry Root ’75, a volunteer athletics chaplain and former Hope College men’s basketball student-athlete, has been chosen as the 2025 recipient of the college’s H-Club “Hope for Humanity” award.
Root will be recognized during a reception at the college’s kinesiology office on Monday, April 14, and during the Hope Athletics HOPEYs awards ceremony that evening at DeVos Fieldhouse.
Recognizing the values learned in cheering gyms and stadiums as well as silent early-morning workouts, the Hope for Humanity award is presented to Hope College alumni athletes that have demonstrated Christian commitment and service to others in their careers after Hope.
The H-Club selects recipients for this award from nominations that meet the following criteria:
- former Hope College athlete;
- demonstrated Christian commitment and servanthood in their career;
- nominees for this award are eligible to be nominated for other awards;
- current members of the Alumni Board and the Hope College Board of Trustees are not eligible for this award.
The honor was first awarded in 1990 and is presented by the college’s H-Club, which consists of Hope alumni who were athletic letter winners and other honorary letter winners.
Since 2008, Root has ministered and counseled Hope student-athletes and coaches as a volunteer associate chaplain. He began a second career during retirement following a 33-year career in education as a teacher and a coach.
A native of Jenison, Michigan, Root also has served as a Young Life leader, mentor for the 70×7 Life Recovery program and in premarital counseling.
Root holds a bachelor’s degree from Hope in education and a Master’s degree in education from Grand Valley State University (1980).
Root and his wife, Dana, have three adult children: Derek ’02, Craig ’07 and Breea.
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