Massachusetts' Top Two Youth Volunteers Selected in 13th Annual National Awards Program

Business Wire, Feb 12, 2008

Newtonville and Amesbury students earn $1,000 awards, engraved medallions and trip to nation's capital

Honors also bestowed on other top youth volunteers in Massachusetts

U.S. Senators John Kerry and Chuck Hagel to co-chair judging panel that will pick 10 National Honorees in May

BOSTON -- Patrick Kaltenbach, 17, of Newtonville and Laura Greenwald, 14, of Amesbury today were named Massachusetts' top two youth volunteers for 2008 by The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, a nationwide program honoring young people for outstanding acts of volunteerism. The awards program, now in its 13th year, is conducted by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP).

Patrick was nominated by the West Suburban YMCA in Newton, and Laura was nominated by the American Red Cross of Northeast Massachusetts in Beverly. As State Honorees, each will 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 - one middle level and one high school youth - 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 2008 at that time.

Patrick, a senior at St. Sebastian's School in Needham, organized a volunteer effort in eastern Massachusetts that has provided close to 40,000 bags of microwave popcorn to U.S. military personnel stationed overseas. Patrick started his "TroopTreats" program after U.S. soldiers helped treat and evacuate Patrick and other Boy Scouts overcome by heat and dehydration during the 2005 National Boy Scout Jamboree. "Back home, I recalled the soldiers' tales of relishing Boy Scout popcorn over a campfire, and an idea clicked," he said. "Why not help them relive those memories by sending popcorn overseas?"

After Patrick began his project three years ago, he solicited volunteer help from his Boy Scout troop and council, distributed posters and flyers, made speeches, sent out letters and e-mail messages, and participated in city fairs and open-air markets, telling all who would listen that each $1 donation could send a bag of popcorn to a service member overseas. He then arranged for a popcorn manufacturer to ship bags of corn directly to the USO in Washington for inclusion in its care packages for overseas troops. Since then, Patrick's efforts have expanded, and the Boy Scouts have begun a similar program on a national level. "TroopTreats started the way most things begin - with a simple idea and hope," said Patrick. "Nothing earth shattering, nothing great - just one outstretched hand meeting another...changing our world one person at a time."

Laura, an eighth-grader at River Valley Charter School in Newburyport, created and sold a compact disc of holiday songs and stories performed by local children to raise funds for victims of domestic violence and disadvantaged people in her community. Seeking to combine her love of music with community service, Laura hit upon the idea of recording a CD and selling it to benefit local charities. "I wanted the CD to be different from what was already commercially available, and to represent the belief that I have in people and the hope that I have for the future," she said.

After selecting the music and literary excerpts for her CD, Laura obtained music licenses and legal permissions, recruited six local children to join her and her brother as performers, and scheduled rehearsals. Then she secured donations of studio time and technical assistance to record the 54-minute CD. When it was finished, Laura promoted it by sending copies to radio stations, issuing press releases, distributing posters and flyers, setting up a Web site (www.believe-CD.com), and placing it in local CD stores. Laura sold more than 450 copies of her CD, which enabled her to donate over $3,500 to the Jeanne Geiger Crisis Center in Newburyport and Pettengill House in Salisbury.

In addition, the program judges recognized six other Massachusetts students as Distinguished Finalists for their impressive community service activities. Each will receive an engraved bronze medallion:

Daniel Dietz, 14, of Florence, an eighth-grader at Hilltown Cooperative Charter Public School in Haydenville, performed as a "yo-yo trick master" to raise more than $15,000 so that 60 poor children around the world could get free, life-changing surgery to correct their cleft lips and palates. Daniel performed his yo-yo tricks at colleges, concerts, street fairs, nursing homes and other locations, and donated all of his tips to The Smile Train, an international organization specializing in cleft surgery.

Alison MacLeod, 18, of Groton, a senior at Groton Dunstable Regional High School, has staged an annual "Backyard Carnival" over the past 10 years to raise money and collect food items for a local food pantry, and to fund daycare tuition grants for local families. At last year's carnival, Allison raised $1,300 and collected a car-full of food for disadvantaged people in her community.