Prudential Spirit of Community Awards
The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards honor young people in middle level and high school grades for outstanding volunteer service to their communities.
To learn more and apply visit: http://www.prudential.com/spirit
Shane Williams of North Platte and Kennedy Healy of Omaha have been selected as Nebraska's top youth volunteers for 2008.
Shane has volunteered for NEBRASKAland Days, coordinated his high school's food drive, and inspired his peers to volunteer. Kennedy formed a "Help MDA Hope Club". Despite being in a wheelchair Kennedy has organized carnivals, bake sales and a teen dance to support the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
As state honorees each will receive a $1,000 award, an engraved silver medallion, and a trip to Washington D.C.
Elizabeth Timberlake of DeWitt and Minh Thu Tran of Lincoln have been named Distinguished Finalists. Elizabeth organized a 4-H Club to teach horse-riding skills to other girls who cannot afford their own horses. Minh has initiated a "Study Buddies Program" to provide tutoring assistance to special education students, English-language learners and other non-traditional students at her school.
Created in 1995 by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), the awards constitute the United States' largest youth recognition program based solely on volunteering. Over the past 12 years, the program has honored more than 75,000 young volunteers at the local, state, and national level.