Easton Drescher receives Notre Dame Academy’s highest honour, the Christian Doll Memorial Award

To honour those passions, the Christian Doll Memorial Award is presented each year to a student-athlete who demonstrates leadership, dedication, and academic achievement.

This year, that student was Drescher.

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(Image Credit: Jett Schwaier/CHAT News)

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As the third recipient of the award, Drescher received a commemorative plaque, a one-year YMCA membership, a $500 cash prize, and had his name added to the Christian Doll Cup.

Moments after accepting the award, Drescher said the reality of the honour was still sinking in.

“It feels amazing. It feels great to be noticed and honoured by this,” Drescher said.

Asked whether he expected to be standing at the front of the room holding the trophy, Drescher smiled.

“No, I had no idea that I’d be chosen for it. It feels great, though,” Drescher said.

“It feels very unreal. I can’t believe what’s happening.”

Drescher said the recognition will serve as motivation moving forward.

“It just gives me a lot of confidence to keep going and all that. It feels great,” Drescher said.

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(Image Credit: Jett Schwaier/CHAT News)

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Christian’s sister, Mikka Doll, said returning to Notre Dame each year remains both emotional and comforting, and called it “fantastic” to see the award continue.

“For our family, Notre Dame is partially home for us, both me and Christian grew up going to Notre Dame, so to have our Notre Dame family constantly support us year after year, it’s amazing,” Doll said.

“You walk in, and you feel the love, and you feel the support, and you get to watch all these young girls and guys grow up into such amazing humans,” she added.

“To see them carry forward Christian’s legacy is amazing.”

Doll said everything she had heard about Drescher over the past year suggested he was a fitting choice.

“It’s amazing, from what I’ve heard from other teachers and people throughout Notre Dame for this last year, he fits the role very well,” Doll said.

“He’s academic, and he has a good work ethic, and those are all things we want to see carried forward in Christian’s name. It looks like he was the right person to receive it.”

As classmates lined up to congratulate the newest recipient, Doll said moments like those remind her family why the award matters.

“To be able to stand in front of a group of people, parents and family, and present what the award is meant to be about and then to give [it to] someone who is seemingly loved by all and appreciated by all,” Doll said.

“It’s very heartwarming to see.”

Before announcing Drescher as the recipient, Christian’s father, Mike Doll, shared details about the family’s newest effort to honour his son’s memory.

“We’ve decided to start a foundation. It’s the Christian Doll Foundation,” Doll said during his speech.

“The purpose of Christian’s Foundation is going to be to help remove financial barriers for families that may prevent their kids from participating in sports or activities that they would like to be a part of,” he added.

“We hope that Christian’s Foundation is going to get more kids involved or help families get through an unexpected tough time financially.”

The foundation’s motto, he added, will be “setting the tone so all kids can play on.”

That theme of “setting the tone” also forms the basis of the memorial award itself.

The award, given out every year at the Grade 9 Farewell Ceremony, ensures Christian’s name remains part of the school he loved.

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(Image Credit: Jett Schwaier/CHAT News)

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Through the new foundation, the family hopes Christian’s legacy will reach even further, helping more young people stay involved in the sports and activities that helped shape his life.

by Jett Schwaier

Easton Drescher receives Notre Dame Academy’s highest honour, the Christian Doll Memorial Award

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