Cranston’s Brittney Bidwell is about to help the Rhode Island Reds Heritage Society add yet another chapter to its tradition-rich hockey history book.

Bidwell, who only started playing ice hockey three years ago, is one of six Rhode Island high school hockey players who’ll be honored with the prestigious “Unsung Hero” awards during the Reds’ 16th annual reunion on Sunday, Aug. 7, at Goddard Memorial State Park in Warwick.

“Back in 2011, we expanded our mission to include support of the state’s student athletes who participate in the Rhode Island Interscholastic League hockey program,” Buster Clegg, president of the Reds Heritage Society, explained. “We used to present the awards between periods of the state championship games.”

However, the many members of the Reds Heritage Society, which is a non-profit whose mission is to restore and preserve the fabled 51-year history of the RI Reds Hockey franchise, felt the “Unsung Hero” honors deserved a wider audience and thus elected to make the presentations during the Aug. 7 reunion.

“This will be the first time we’ve presented the Unsung Hero awards at the reunion,” Clegg, who is a former Reds General Manager, offered. “Our membership, that includes many of our former stars, will be able to help honor these young high school standouts.”

He also explained that the “Unsung Hero” awards are named in honor of three former Reds greats: Chuck Scherza, forward; Ferny Flaman, defenseman; and Gil Mayer, goalie.

“They were three of hockey’s all-time best,” Clegg said of the three former Reds. “We are absolutely thrilled to honor six of the RIIL’s best with these unique awards that we are proud to present in honor of their great names.”

Clegg also announced that commemorative plaques will be presented to the “Unsung Hero” selections in both the men’s and women’s divisions of the Rhode Island Interscholastic League’s ice hockey program.

The honorees were selected from a list of nominees submitted by the Interscholastic League coaches and chosen by a selection committee comprised of representatives of the coaches and officials associations, and Rick Scherza, a member of the Reds’ historical group.

In its deliberations the committee focused on those players who best demonstrate the concept of “student athletes” and the committee, Clegg wanted it known, “was not looking for the all-stars or superstars, but rather to those individuals who are good, well-rounded teammates.”

Among such categories that the committee considered for each nominee were: academics, sportsmanship, team play and support, school/community support, hardship and obstacles overcome, perseverance, leadership, hockey ability and other intangible qualities.

Bidwell, who’ll receive the prestigious Chuck Scherza Award at the Reds’ Aug. 7 reunion, “has become the strongest player and the hardest worker on our hockey team,” offered PJ Bessette, who serves as head coach of the Cranston East/East Greenwich co-op girls’ team, offered. “She only started playing three years ago as a freshman and has learned her hockey lessons well.”

Moreover, as Bessette emphasized: “Brittney learned her lessons so well that she’s now our fist-line center. She also augments her hockey activities with a part-time job and studies. We were all thrilled when we learned that she was selected for an honor that’s named in memory of such a great professional hockey player like Chuck Scherza.”

As equally impressive, Bidwell is an honors student who ranks 25th in a class of more than 300 students in the class of 2017 at Cranston High School East. She is also the only junior in this year’s “Unsung Hero” class and projects to be one of the top players in the state next season.

The other “Unsung Winners” and their respective schools are: Victoria Hartley, La Salle Academy, Gil Mayer Award; and Byrnne Costa, East Providence, Ferny Flaman Award.

The boys’ winners are: Zachary Librizzi, St. Raphael Academy/PSW, Chuck Scherza Award; David Gaulin, Smithfield, Ferny Flaman Award; and Colin Clegg, Barrington, Gil Mayer Award.

To help celebrate this original joining of young and older “Hockey Heroes” people can reserve a spot by contacting Mal Goldenberg at (401) 782-6623 or mal@rimcri.com.