AG 2006 03 20 - Laserfiche WebLink

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NORTH CAROLINA'S TOP TWO YOUTH VOLUNTEERS SELECTEDlPage Three I' In addition, the program judges recognized six other North Carolina students as Distinguished Finalists for their impressive community service activities. Each will receive an engraved bronze medallion: Tara Austin, 17, of Hudson, a senior at South Caldwell High School, has provided several hundred disadvantaged people in her area with winter clothing through a program she created last fall called "Head2Toe." Tara started this project immediately following Hurricane Katrina when she noticed that the disaster had shifted attention away from those in need locally. Caitlin Byrnes, 17, of Charlotte, a senior at North Mecklenburg High School in Huntersville, helped found and now directs a Youth United branch of Habitat for Humanity in her area. Under Caitlin's leadership, the Youth United group has raised more than $32,000, recruited more than 300 volunteers, and helped the area's main Habitat chapter build more than 300 new homes for underprivileged families. Ryan Garrett, 17, of Sanford, a member-volunteer with the Lee County American Red Cross and a senior at Lee County Senior High School, created a volunteer information network that provides an up- to-date directory of community service opportunities for high school students in Lee County. Ryan's directory, which also provides volunteering tips for teenagers, is distributed to local high schools, youth groups and public libraries. Laurel Mauney, 18, of Belmont, a senior at South Point High School, set up a game room at a local teen shelter and worked with the shelter staff to make the use of the room an incentive for positive behavior. Laurel received donations and assistance from her Girl Scout troop to supply the room with board games, art supplies, computer games, a foosball table and a karaoke machine. Paige Ridout, 17, of Smithfield, a junior at Smithfield-Selma High School, developed a presentation to educate community members about the condition of the Neuse River, and then recruited volunteers to pick up trash along the river. Paige spoke to seven civic organizations, created a Web site and business cards to promote the cleanup, gave out T-shirts to the volunteers, and supervised them as they removed trash and debris from the riverbanks. Michael Williford, 17, of High Point, a senior at Westchester Academy, co-founded "MedAssist," a program that helps indigent cancer patients apply for free drug benefits. Michael has helped more than 40 cancer patients save as much as $2,000 a month by working on their behalf with drug companies and local donors. - more - C-I