HONOLULU – Former University of Hawai'i football player Chris Smith is the recipient of the 2021 Kāne Fernandez Community Service Award, presented by the UH Mānoa Letterwinners Club.
 
Smith received his award during halftime of the men's basketball game, Saturday, Feb. 26.
 
Born and raised in Hawai'i, Smith was a member of the UH football team from 1998-99 and was part of the NCAA's largest turnaround team and Western Athletic Conference championship squad of 1999. Smith went on to earn a degree in entrepreneurship and management from Missouri State University.
 
Smith is the founder and CEO of Athlete Network, the nation's No. 1 engagement platform for current and former student-athletes. The UH Athletics Department and the Letterwinners Club actively participates and promotes the Athlete Network specifically the Hawai'i Letterwinners Network site which was created just for all former Rainbows. It allows current and former Rainbow Wahine and Rainbow Warriors to connect with each other while providing different career resources not matter where they live in the world or are in their life. This alumni network reaches well beyond the island of O'ahu, across the mainland, and around the world.
 
The UHLWC presents the award annually to a past letterwinner who has volunteered unselfishly to further advance the community. The award is named for the late Kāne Fernandez, chairman and chief executive office of Fernandez Entertainment, who passed away in 2001 and is one of the original members of the UHLWC.