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Insurance News
February 9, 2010
Georgia's Top Two Youth Volunteers Selected in 15th Annual National Awards Program
http://insurancenewsnet.com/article.aspx?id=159244
Alpharetta and Woodstock students earn $1,000 awards, engraved
medallions and trip to nation’s capital Honors also bestowed on youth volunteers in Flowery Branch, Marietta,
Loganville, Atlanta, Savannah, and Watkinsville ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
MacKenzie Bearup, 16, of Alpharetta and Andrew Vassil, 14, of Woodstock
today were named Georgia's top two youth volunteers for 2010 by The
Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, a nationwide program honoring
young people for outstanding acts of volunteerism. The awards program,
now in its 15th year, is conducted by Prudential Financial in
partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals
(NASSP).
As State Honorees, MacKenzie and Andrew will each receive $1,000, an
engraved silver medallion, and an all-expense-paid trip in early May to
Washington, D.C., where they will join the top two honorees from each of
the other states and the District of Columbia for several days of
national recognition events. Ten of them will be named America’s top
youth volunteers for 2010 at that time.
MacKenzie, a home-schooled eleventh-grader, has collected more
than 30,000 children’s books over the past three years to establish
libraries or reading rooms for 27 homeless shelters in four states.
MacKenzie was diagnosed with a painful neurological condition several
years ago and spent many months in bed. “The only way I could get my
mind off the pain was to escape into a great book,” she explained. When
her doctor told her about a homeless shelter in need of a children’s
library, MacKenzie decided to help. “I thought about how reading helped
me get my mind off my pain and hoped it would do the same for these
children.”
MacKenzie gathered books she no longer needed and asked friends and
neighbors if they had books to donate. Then she dropped fliers in
mailboxes throughout her subdivision, and began distributing them at
garage sales. When a local newspaper published a story on MacKenzie’s
efforts, donations began to pour in. With help from her family,
MacKenzie sorted, boxed, and delivered 10,000 books to the shelter. Soon
other shelters learned of her work and asked her to help them as well.
Now, MacKenzie goes to garage sales every Friday and Saturday to look
for donations, contacts homeless shelters to ask if they need books, and
uses pet- and babysitting earnings to help pay for expenses. To date,
she has donated more than 30,000 books to homeless shelters in Georgia,
Kentucky, Illinois, and Missouri, and recently set up a nonprofit
organization, Sheltering Books Inc., to expand nationwide. “I have
learned that, in spite of my pain, I can feel better by helping others,”
said MacKenzie.
Andrew, an eighth-grader at Queen of Angels Catholic School in
Roswell, has been raising money and giving speeches for the past six
years to support childhood cancer research and patient care, in
appreciation for the treatment he received at age 6 for an inoperable
brain tumor. “The hospital I went to, St. Jude Children’s Research
Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, saved my life,” said Andrew. “I feel I
owe something to St. Jude.” He shares his story on behalf of the
hospital at golf tournaments, schools, country club dinners, auctions,
radio station “phone-a-thons,” corporate events, major galas, and in
television commercials. He also participates in the annual St. Jude
Memphis Marathon on a team formed in his honor, which has raised more
than $100,000 over the last three years.
Two years ago, Andrew expanded his fund-raising activities to benefit
the Rally Foundation for Childhood Cancer Research as well. He spends
hours writing and rehearsing speeches, tailoring his remarks to the ages
and backgrounds of his audiences. With as many as five events per month,
Andrew has spoken directly to thousands of people about the importance
of cancer research. In addition, he spends time supporting and
comforting other kids who have been diagnosed with cancer. “I know so
many people who have been through the horrors of childhood cancer,” said
Andrew. “I want to help find cures so other kids don’t have to
experience what I did.”
In addition, the program judges recognized six other Georgia students as
Distinguished Finalists for their impressive community service
activities. Each will receive an engraved bronze medallion:
Nidia Bland, 17, of Flowery Branch, a senior at Flowery Branch High
School, has spent two months every summer for the past four years
helping to build homes, schools, churches, health clinics, sports
centers, wells, and water pipelines for poverty-stricken families in
Chinandega, Nicaragua. As a volunteer for Amigos for Christ, a nonprofit
organization, Nidia serves as a translator and small-group leader for
volunteer mission groups, and leads work teams in an array of
construction activities.
Chandler Fisk, 17, of Marietta, a senior at Pebblebrook High School in
Mableton, founded a nonprofit initiative that challenges academic and
political leaders to promote more physical activity and better nutrition
in public schools, and encourages students to adopt healthier
lifestyles. After researching childhood obesity, Chandler made a
presentation to her district’s school board, wrote letters to all 181
school superintendents in Georgia, organized a student fitness club at
her school, testified before a congressional subcommittee about school
nutrition and physical activity, and delivered speeches to local, state,
and national audiences.
Christine Lyles, 18, of Loganville, a senior at Grayson High School,
formed a nonprofit student volunteer organization dedicated to meeting
the needs of impoverished children across Georgia. Christine’s group
coordinates fund-raisers and recruits sponsors to provide children with
toiletries, school supplies, holiday gifts, and other items. In
addition, Christine’s organization entertains children at food pantries
and is installing a playground at the Bread of Life Food Pantry.
Sarah McCauley, 16, of Atlanta, a junior at North Atlanta High School,
raised nearly $20,000 for brain cancer research by knitting and selling
scarves, after her uncle was diagnosed with a malignant tumor. For her
project, called “Strands of Hope,” Sarah learned to knit, solicited
support from businesses and yarn manufacturers, taught others to knit,
and sold her scarves at craft fairs and “scarf parties” and through her
website (www.freewebs.com/strandsofhopescarves).
Grace Palmer, 17, of Savannah, a junior at Savannah Christian
Preparatory School, has raised more than $34,000 for cancer research
over the past five years by sailing in the Leukemia Cup Regatta. She
also prepares home-cooked meals and a specialty cake every month for
families at a Ronald McDonald House as president of her school’s cooking
club, and is a member of the Ronald McDonald House teen board, which
raises money and cleans and cooks at the house during the year.
Hannah Walters, 13, of Watkinsville, a member of the Girl Scouts of
Historic Georgia in Lizella and an eighth-grader at Oconee County Middle
School, wrote, illustrated, and produced a 20-page full-color children’s
book about seat belt, railroad, and helmet safety. She has distributed
more than 200 copies to children and schools throughout her community,
and has read her book to hundreds of kids at their schools.
“People as caring and committed as these young students are critical to
the future of our neighborhoods, our cities and our nation,” said John
R. Strangfeld, chairman and CEO of Prudential Financial. “By recognizing
these honorees, we hope to encourage other young people – our future
leaders – and all Americans to think more about the value and importance
of volunteering in their communities.”
“The young people recognized by the Prudential Spirit of Community
Awards demonstrate an enormous capacity for giving and reaching out to
those in need,” said Gerald N. Tirozzi, executive director of the
National Association of Secondary School Principals. “NASSP is proud to
honor these student leaders because they are wonderful examples of the
high caliber of young people in our nation’s schools today.”
All public and private middle level and high schools in the country, as
well as all Girl Scout councils, county 4-H organizations, American Red
Cross chapters, YMCAs and affiliates of HandsOn Network, were eligible
to select a student or member for a local Prudential Spirit of Community
Award this past November. Nearly 5,000 Local Honorees were then reviewed
by an independent judging panel, which selected State Honorees and
Distinguished Finalists based on criteria such as personal initiative,
creativity, effort, impact and personal growth.
While in Washington, D.C., the 102 State Honorees will tour the
capital’s landmarks, attend a gala awards ceremony at the Smithsonian’s
National Museum of Natural History, and visit their congressional
representatives on Capitol Hill. In addition, 10 of them – five middle
level and five high school students – will be named National Honorees on
May 3 by a prestigious national selection committee. These honorees will
receive additional $5,000 awards, gold medallions, crystal trophies, and
$5,000 grants from The Prudential Foundation for nonprofit, charitable
organizations of their choice.
Serving on the national selection committee will be Strangfeld of
Prudential; Steven Pophal, president of NASSP; Michelle Nunn, president
and CEO of the Points of Light Institute & Hands On Network; Marguerite
Kondracke, president and CEO of the America’s Promise Alliance; Donald
T. Floyd Jr., president and CEO of National 4-H Council; Pamela Farr,
the American Red Cross’ national chair of volunteers; Elson Nash,
associate director for project management at the Corporation for
National and Community Service; Michael Cohen, president and CEO of
Achieve, Inc.; and two 2009 Prudential Spirit of Community National
Honorees: Shardy Camargo of Orlando, Fla., and Colin Leslie of Rye, N.Y.
In addition to granting its own awards, The Prudential Spirit of
Community Awards program will distribute President’s Volunteer Service
Awards to more than 2,800 of its Local Honorees this year on behalf of
President Obama. The President’s Volunteer Service Award recognizes
Americans of all ages who have volunteered significant amounts of their
time to serve their communities and their country.
The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards represent the United States’
largest youth recognition program based solely on volunteer service.
Since the program began in 1995, more than 90,000 young volunteers
nationwide have been honored at the local, state or national level. Many
prominent public figures have assisted in saluting these honorees over
the years, including President Jimmy Carter, Barbara Bush, Magic
Johnson, John Glenn, Madeleine Albright, Rudy Giuliani, Whoopi Goldberg,
Colin Powell, Peyton Manning, Duchess of York Sarah Ferguson and Laura
Bush. The program also is conducted by Prudential subsidiaries in Japan,
South Korea, Taiwan and Ireland.
For information on all of this year’s Prudential Spirit of Community
State Honorees and Distinguished Finalists, visit spirit.prudential.com.
In existence since 1916, the National Association of Secondary School
Principals (NASSP) is the preeminent organization of and national voice
for middle level and high school principals, assistant principals, and
aspiring school leaders from across the United States and more than 45
countries around the world. NASSP’s mission is to promote excellence in
school leadership. The National Honor Society ®, National Junior Honor
Society ®, National Elementary Honor Society™, and National Association
of Student Councils ® are all NASSP programs. For more information about
NASSP, located in Reston, Va., visit www.principals.org
or call 703-860-0200.
Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE: PRU) is a financial services leader
with operations in the United States, Asia, Europe, and Latin America.
Leveraging its heritage of life insurance and asset management
expertise, Prudential is focused on helping approximately 50 million
individual and institutional customers grow and protect their wealth. In
the United States, the company’s Rock symbol is an icon of strength,
stability, expertise and innovation that has stood the test of time.
Prudential's businesses offer a variety of products and services,
including life insurance, annuities, retirement-related services, mutual
funds, investment management, and real estate services. For more
information, please visit www.news.prudential.com.
Editors: Graphics depicting the award program’s logo and medallions
may be downloaded from spirit.prudential.com.
Prudential
Harold Banks
973-802-8974 (office)
973-216-4833
(cell)
harold.banks@prudential.com
Source: Prudential Financial
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