[February 08, 2011]

California's Top Two Youth Volunteers Selected in 16th Annual National Awards Program

Blakely Colvin, 16, of Solvang and Tyler Page, 13, of Brentwood today were named California's top two youth volunteers for 2011 by The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, a nationwide program honoring young people for outstanding acts of volunteerism. The awards program, now in its 16th year, is conducted by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP).

Blakely was nominated by Santa Ynez Valley Union High School in Santa Ynez, and Tyler was nominated by J. Douglas Adams Middle School in Brentwood. 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 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 2011 at that time.

Blakely, a junior at Santa Ynez Valley Union High School, launched a nonprofit charity that has raised $60,000 over the past three years to benefit sick children by baking and selling cupcakes. When she was in eighth grade, Blakely heard about a local boy her age who was battling leukemia. Having been treated with chemotherapy for an auto-immune disease years earlier, she empathized with him immediately. "I thought if I could just put a smile on Kevin's face, it would be so awesome," she said. Since Blakely loved cupcakes, she decided to bake homemade cupcakes and sell them once a week after school for $1. With help from her mother, friends, and student volunteers, Blakely raised $5,000 for Kevin's family in just six weeks.

Surprised by her success, Blakely didn't want to stop. She acquired a tent and began setting up a miniature cupcake "shop" at parades, sporting events, and other events around town to sell her cupcakes. She and her mother also hosted a huge cupcake tasting and competition event with 40 cupcake vendors, which drew more than 900 people. With the $60,000 her "Cupcakes for Cancer" campaign has earned so far, Blakely granted wishes for six ill children through the Make-A-Wish Foundation, donated $10,000 to the Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation of Santa Barbara, and granted a college scholarship to a deserving high school senior. In addition, she is encouraging young people in other communities to bake and sell their own cupcakes, and donate the proceeds to a national pediatric cancer research foundation. Kids and schools in nine states have signed on to date. "The feeling that comes from helping is so special and so rewarding that it stays with you," said Blakely.

Tyler, an eighth-grader at J. Douglas Adams Middle School, held a carwash hoping to rescue just one child from being sold into slavery in Ghana, but ended up sparking a kids' fund-raising enterprise that has involved hundreds of young people and has generated more than $100,000 for a variety of children's causes. When he was 10, Tyler saw a television program about children in Ghana sold by their parents into forced fishing labor. "I couldn't stand how they were being treated, so I decided to do something about it," he said. He proposed the idea of a carwash to his fourth-grade class, and invited everyone who wanted to help. Tyler's goal was to raise $240 - enough to support one Ghanaian child for a year. But when the carwash was over, he had $1,175 in hand.

Realizing then the power of kids to make a difference, Tyler started recruiting young people throughout his community to help him raise money. They hosted more carwashes, sold cookies, set up lemonade stands, and conducted other fund-raisers. His mother helped him establish a nonprofit organization called Kids Helping Kids and a website to inspire kids everywhere to make a difference in their communities, and to support their own fund-raising ideas. To date, $100,000 has been raised to aid children in Ghana, as well as to provide books for young victims of Hurricane Katrina, meals for local needy families, candy for troops in Iraq, assistance to kids with major medical expenses, and other causes. "The funny thing is, I've learned that it really isn't about the money at all," said Tyler. "It seems to me that it is really about connecting the human spirit."

In addition, the program judges recognized 10 other California students as Distinguished Finalists for their impressive community service activities. Each will receive an engraved bronze medallion:

Athman Adiseshan, 13, of San Jose, a volunteer with the East Valley Family YMCA and an eighth-grader at Ramana Academy, founded "Bags Gag," a national service project to raise awareness about the environmental dangers of plastic bags and to encourage the use of reusable bags. Athman developed a website, makes presentations about plastic bags, and has recruited other young people from across the country to initiate "Bags Gag" chapters in their areas.

Francesca Cxe, 17, of San Clemente, a senior at San Clemente High School, helped to raise $20,000 to fund cleft lip and cleft palette surgeries for 80 underprivileged children through her school's chapter of "Operation Smile." Francesca, who founded the chapter with her sister in 2008, organizes charity dances known as "Rock the Smile" to raise the money.

Caitlin Crommett, 17, of Trabuco Canyon, a senior at Tesoro High School in Rancho Santa Margarita, was just 15 years old when she created "Dreamcatchers," a charitable organization that grants wishes for hospice patients. Caitlin coordinated a group of volunteers to help her raise $23,000. She used these funds to grant several wishes including throwing an anniversary party, sending patients on boat rides and to Los Angeles Lakers basketball games, and coordinating family reunions.

Gabriel Ferrick, 16, of Santa Rosa, a sophomore at Montgomery High School, has raised $43,000 to help end the genocide in Darfur through various projects, including a Walk for Darfur and a Walk to End Genocide. Gabriel also raised funds to support a backpack project for which he supplied 450 backpacks filled with shoes, hygiene items and school supplies for needy children living in a refugee camp.

Tatiana Grossman, 16, of Palo Alto (News - Alert), a volunteer with the American Red Cross Silicon Valley in San Jose and a sophomore at Henry Gunn Senior High School, collected more than $20,000 and 20,000 books to support literacy programs in Africa. Tatiana, who created "Spread the Words" when she was only 12 years old, has started and supported libraries serving 78 underprivileged villages in four African nations.

Joyce Lau, 17, of El Dorado Hills, a senior at Mira Loma High School in Sacramento, created "The Apple (News - Alert) Project," a yearlong English tutoring program led by high school volunteers from six different states via webcam to help hundreds of underprivileged children in China. Joyce, who served as a tutor through a similar program, decided to create a new program when the prior project was discontinued.

Catherine Mitchell, 15, of Oceanside, a junior at Guajome Park Academy in Vista, has raised more than $6,000 selling jewelry made by impoverished Ugandan women through her "Beauty 4 Life" micro business. Catherine, who started the organization a year ago after a visit to Uganda, is proud to help the Ugandan artisans feed, educate and keep their families safe through sales of their handmade jewelry.

Nicolas Northen, 12, of Coto de Caza, a seventh-grader at Las Flores Middle School in Las Flores, has helped to raise $112,000 to support children's cancer research through the St. Baldrick's Foundation, a charity that collects donations from people willing to shave their heads. Nicolas, who shaved his head for prior St. Baldrick's events, started the Orange (News - Alert) County chapter in 2008 and manages event promotion and "shavee" recruitment.

Katie Whaley, 16, of Orange, a junior at Lutheran High School of Orange County, created her "Sweet 16 Year of Giving Back," a yearlong group of sixteen volunteer projects she implemented to celebrate this milestone. Katie, who wanted to counter the stereotype of teen selfishness, implemented various projects including book drives, reading programs, food drives and sports programs for developmentally disabled children.

Sarah Williams, 18, of Pleasanton, a senior at Amador Valley High School, raised $53,000 and distributed 5,000 homemade fleece blankets to foster care children in four states through her charity, "A Blanket of Their Own." Sarah has thousands of volunteers helping raise funds, and make and distribute blankets; and has distributed thousands of pay-it-forward "legacy kits," complete with instructions and materials for making a blanket and then sending the kit to someone else to do the same.

"These award recipients have proven that young people across America are critical to the future of our neighborhoods, our nation, and our world," said John R. Strangfeld, chairman and CEO of Prudential Financial. "Each and every one of these honorees deserve our respect and admiration, and we hope by shining a light on them, they will continue to serve as an example for others."

"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. More than 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 2 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 John Strangfeld of Prudential; Jana Frieler, 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 2010 Prudential Spirit of Community National Honorees: Shannon McNamara of Basking Ridge, N.J., and Benjamin Sater of Plano, Texas.

In addition to granting its own awards, The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program will be distributing President's Volunteer Service Awards to more than 2,800 of its Local Honorees this year on behalf of President Barack 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 95,000 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 Jimmy Carter, Barbara Bush, Magic Johnson, John Glenn, Madeleine Albright, Rudy Giuliani, Whoopi Goldberg, Colin Powell, Peyton Manning, Laura Bush, and Condoleezza Rice. The program also is conducted by Prudential subsidiaries in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Ireland and India.

For information on all of this year's Prudential Spirit of Community State Honorees and Distinguished Finalists, visit spirit.prudential.com or www.nassp.org/spirit.

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.nassp.org or call 703-860-0200.

Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE: PRU), a financial services leader, has operations in the United States, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. Prudential's diverse and talented employees are committed to helping individual and institutional customers grow and protect their wealth through a variety of products and services, including life insurance, annuities, retirement-related services, mutual funds, investment management, and real estate services. In the U.S., Prudential's iconic Rock symbol has stood for strength, stability, expertise and innovation for more than a century. For more information, please visit http://www.news.prudential.com/

Editors: Graphics depicting the award program's logo and medallions may be downloaded from spirit.prudential.com.

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