Two Illinois Youth Honored for Volunteerism at National Award Ceremony in Washington, D.C

Business Wire, May 5, 2008

Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, Pays Tribute to Young Heroes as Part of Four-Day Recognition Events

WASHINGTON -- Two Illinois students, Kathleen McGlynn, 18, of Belleville and Kathleen O'Dell, 12, of Blue Island were honored in the nation's capital last night for their outstanding volunteer work during the presentation of The 2008 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards. The two young people - along with 100 other top youth volunteers from across the country - received $1,000 awards as well as personal congratulations from Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, at the 13th annual award ceremony and gala dinner reception, held at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History.

Ms. McGlynn and Ms. O'Dell were named the top high school and middle level youth volunteers in Illinois last February. In addition to their cash awards, they received engraved silver medallions and an all-expense-paid trip with their parents to Washington, D.C., for this week's recognition events.

Conducted in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards were created 13 years ago by Prudential Financial, Inc. to encourage youth volunteerism and to identify and reward young role models. Since then, the program has honored more than 80,000 young volunteers at the local, state and national level.

"Both Kathleens are inspiring examples of young Americans who care deeply about the needs of others and who have taken the initiative to help meet those needs," said Prudential Chairman Arthur F. Ryan. "By honoring them, we hope not only to give them the recognition they so richly deserve, but also to inspire others to follow their example."

Kathleen McGlynn, a senior at Althoff Catholic High School and a member of the YMCA of Southwest Illinois, created more than 100 recipes for children with common stomach disorders, and compiled many of them in a cookbook titled "Yummies for Sensitive Tummies." She also designed a Web site to educate children with sensitive stomachs about healthy food and lifestyle choices. Because she suffers from her own pain caused by a back deformity, Kathleen was especially sympathetic when her younger sister was diagnosed with esophageal reflux, irritable bowel syndrome and lactose intolerance. "I knew how it felt to be in pain," she said. "Watching my little sister suffer made me want to do something."

Kathleen began to experiment with different foods to see how her sister would tolerate them, then researched her ailments, interviewed dieticians and medical professionals, compiled lists of non-irritating foods, and recruited volunteer "taste-testers" as she developed her recipes. When her cookbook was finished, Kathleen distributed free copies to children's hospitals in the U.S. and Canada, and through www.sensitivetummies.com, a Web site that she and her sister built last year. "I take great pleasure knowing that the recipes I have created may help lessen the suffering of even one child," Kathleen said.

Kathleen O'Dell, a seventh-grader at Veterans Memorial Middle School, used her own savings and money collected from friends and family members to donate $100 to Children's Memorial Hospital. Kathleen heard about the hospital's need for funds while listening to a "radiothon" in the car with her mother last summer. "Listening to the stories, my mom started to cry, and I was already crying on the inside," said Kathleen.

She immediately bought a piggy bank and put all of her babysitting money in it to start the fund. Then she contacted all her family and friends and asked them to contribute. Once she had collected $100, Kathleen's mother drove her to the hospital to make the donation in person. Kathleen's contribution helped the radiothon raise $1.85 million, which will be used for pediatric research, patient care, education and advocacy efforts. Kathleen is planning to raise money for the hospital again this year, and will be an official volunteer for the radiothon. "I love helping out," she said. "I believe that in a way I am balancing out the world a little bit."

Applications for the 2008 awards program were submitted last fall through schools, Girl Scout councils, county 4-H organizations, American Red Cross chapters, YMCAs and Volunteer Centers affiliated with the Points of Light & Hands On Network. The top middle level and high school applicants in each state and the District of Columbia were announced in February. These 102 State Honorees are in Washington this week with their parents for four days of special recognition events.

Ten of the 102 were named America's top ten youth volunteers for 2008 at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce headquarters today. These National Honorees received additional $5,000 awards, gold medallions, crystal trophies for the schools that nominated them, and $5,000 grants from The Prudential Foundation for charities of their choice. [The ceremony can be viewed at www.prudential.com/spirit.]

The ten National Honorees are:

Kristen Allcorn, 18, of Sedalia, Mo., who founded a soup kitchen that provides a hot evening meal five days a week, serving needy residents at tables as if they were eating in a restaurant. Called The Community Cafe, Kristen's kitchen has served more than 12,000 meals since December 2006.