Molalla, OR, August 1, 2026: ChiroCongress Cares is proud to announce the launch of the Dr. Don Cross Pathway to Leadership Award, a new $1,000 travel award created to honor Dr. Don Cross’s more than 30 years of service to the chiropractic profession. The award will be presented for the first time this November at the ChiroCongress Annual Convention, held, fittingly, in Louisville, Kentucky, the very state that bestowed Dr. Cross with one of its most distinctive honors: the title of Kentucky Colonel.
Dr. Cross attended Logan University, where he served as Student Body President and Class President. He currently serves as President of ChiroCongress Cares and is a Past President of ChiroCongress, as well as a Past President of the Florida Chiropractic Association. He is also an official Kentucky Colonel, the Commonwealth’s highest honorary title, recognized for outstanding service and accomplishment. Dr. Cross’s decades of leadership made Louisville an especially fitting place to introduce an award in his name.
“It feels only right that an award meant to launch the next generation of chiropractic leaders would begin here in Kentucky, where I was once given a title I never expected. My hope is that this award opens the same kinds of doors for a student that so many mentors opened for me over the last 30+ years,” said Dr. Don Cross, President of ChiroCongress Cares.
The Dr. Don Cross Pathway to Leadership Award will provide a $1,000 travel award, presented in person at the convention, to cover hotel and travel costs for two chiropractic students in their final year of study. Recipients will also receive a waived convention registration fee courtesy of ChiroCongress, and will have the opportunity to attend all convention sessions open to Doctors of Chiropractic, including direct access to leaders from over 30 state chiropractic associations and many national chiropractic organizations in attendance.
The award is open to full-time students enrolled in a Doctor of Chiropractic program at an accredited U.S. chiropractic college or university who are in their final year of study, maintain a minimum 2.7 GPA, and demonstrate student leadership along with current or intended involvement in their state chiropractic association.
“The state association gave me a place to grow as a leader and build on my experiences in college. This award is my way of making sure students find a pathway early in their career to a community that will support them in their leadership journey,” Dr. Cross added.
Applications for the Dr. Don Cross Pathway to Leadership Award will open in August 2026 and close September 10, 2026. Recipients will be selected in September and will be honored at the ChiroCongress Annual Convention in Louisville on November 7.
For more information about the Dr. Don Cross Pathway to Leadership Award, including eligibility criteria and application details, visit ChiroCongressCares.org. Visit the online application to apply after reviewing the application criteria.
About ChiroCongress Cares
ChiroCongress Cares is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and the charitable arm of ChiroCongress, supporting chiropractic research and education and providing scholarships and awards to chiropractic students.
