Leesburg sixth grader awarded second place in national contest
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The Heart of America Foundation® has announced that Sarah Young, a sixth grader from Leesburg, is the second-place winner of the 2011 Gee Whiz Kids® Award. The first and third place recipients are, respectively, Joshua Williams of Miami Beach, Fla. and Gabrielle Pathrose of Mason, Ohio.
The Gee Whiz Kids® Award is given to students ages 12 and under who exemplify the value of service in America. Sarah will be featured on The Heart of America Foundation’s website at www.heartofamerica.org, receive an award certificate and be awarded a $150 scholarship donated by Marilyn Perlyn, author, and Amanda Perlyn, illustrator, of "The Biggest and Brightest Light." "The Biggest and Brightest Light" is a children’s story that aims to give children a real understanding of the feelings that come from giving.
Sarah Young is an active participant in the Highland County 4-H program. In 2010, the program struggled to raise the necessary $50,000 in annual local funding to support a 2011 season. Recognizing the importance of 4-H, Sarah Young, at the tender age of 10, raised nearly $32,000 to help save the program in Highland County.
[[In-content Ad]]Sarah raised much of the funds by donating proceeds from the sale of her market lamb. She spent nearly 150 hours speaking with the news media, clubs and schools to generate interest in 4-H and rallied donors to bid over $12,900 for her lamb – which generally would sell for about $450. All proceeds from the sale went toward the county’s 4-H program. Approximately 130 other exhibitors, impressed by her efforts, enthusiasm and vision, also donated all or part of their proceeds, which brought in another $9,000. Finally, her efforts convinced and inspired three local businesses to contribute $10,000 to the 4-H program, bringing her year-end total to just under $32,000 and providing much-needed support to continue the program.
After funding was secured for 2011, Sarah turned her attention to raising money for the 2012 season. To kick off her fundraising, she implemented the “Yes We Can” campaign with the help of the Marshall Stockmen 4-H Club. An aluminum can collection campaign, “Yes We Can” promotes recycling and environmentalism, and all proceeds benefit the 2012 4-H season. When speaking about 4-H, Sarah said, “4-H isn’t about pigs and sheep and cows, it’s about kids learning to become self-sufficient, to grow into tomorrow’s leaders. Letting this program fail would be letting yourself down.” So far the campaign has collected over half a million cans, amassing over $16,000.
More information about the Gee Whiz Kids® Award can be found on The Heart of America Foundation’s website at www.heartofamerica.org or by contacting Colleen Noland at colleen@heartofamerica.org. For additional information on The Biggest and Brightest Light, please visit www.biggestandbrightestlight.com.
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About The Heart of America Foundation®
The Heart of America Foundation®, a national nonprofit headquartered in Washington, D.C., uniquely promotes volunteer service and literacy. The organization inspires acts of service and a love of reading by building community and providing children in need with the tools to read, succeed and make a difference.
Committed to education and volunteerism, The Heart of America Foundation® engages volunteers through putting books into the hands of children who need them the most. Through the Books From The Heart® and READesign® programs, The Heart of America Foundation® revitalizes school libraries and reading spaces in under-resourced communities into vital and vibrant centers of learning that become the heart of a school.
Since 1997, The Heart of America Foundation® has provided children living in poverty with over 2.5 million library and take-home books. And, the organization has engaged volunteers in more than one million hours of service to communities nationwide.
The Gee Whiz Kids® Award is given to students ages 12 and under who exemplify the value of service in America. Sarah will be featured on The Heart of America Foundation’s website at www.heartofamerica.org, receive an award certificate and be awarded a $150 scholarship donated by Marilyn Perlyn, author, and Amanda Perlyn, illustrator, of "The Biggest and Brightest Light." "The Biggest and Brightest Light" is a children’s story that aims to give children a real understanding of the feelings that come from giving.
Sarah Young is an active participant in the Highland County 4-H program. In 2010, the program struggled to raise the necessary $50,000 in annual local funding to support a 2011 season. Recognizing the importance of 4-H, Sarah Young, at the tender age of 10, raised nearly $32,000 to help save the program in Highland County.
[[In-content Ad]]Sarah raised much of the funds by donating proceeds from the sale of her market lamb. She spent nearly 150 hours speaking with the news media, clubs and schools to generate interest in 4-H and rallied donors to bid over $12,900 for her lamb – which generally would sell for about $450. All proceeds from the sale went toward the county’s 4-H program. Approximately 130 other exhibitors, impressed by her efforts, enthusiasm and vision, also donated all or part of their proceeds, which brought in another $9,000. Finally, her efforts convinced and inspired three local businesses to contribute $10,000 to the 4-H program, bringing her year-end total to just under $32,000 and providing much-needed support to continue the program.
After funding was secured for 2011, Sarah turned her attention to raising money for the 2012 season. To kick off her fundraising, she implemented the “Yes We Can” campaign with the help of the Marshall Stockmen 4-H Club. An aluminum can collection campaign, “Yes We Can” promotes recycling and environmentalism, and all proceeds benefit the 2012 4-H season. When speaking about 4-H, Sarah said, “4-H isn’t about pigs and sheep and cows, it’s about kids learning to become self-sufficient, to grow into tomorrow’s leaders. Letting this program fail would be letting yourself down.” So far the campaign has collected over half a million cans, amassing over $16,000.
More information about the Gee Whiz Kids® Award can be found on The Heart of America Foundation’s website at www.heartofamerica.org or by contacting Colleen Noland at colleen@heartofamerica.org. For additional information on The Biggest and Brightest Light, please visit www.biggestandbrightestlight.com.
***
About The Heart of America Foundation®
The Heart of America Foundation®, a national nonprofit headquartered in Washington, D.C., uniquely promotes volunteer service and literacy. The organization inspires acts of service and a love of reading by building community and providing children in need with the tools to read, succeed and make a difference.
Committed to education and volunteerism, The Heart of America Foundation® engages volunteers through putting books into the hands of children who need them the most. Through the Books From The Heart® and READesign® programs, The Heart of America Foundation® revitalizes school libraries and reading spaces in under-resourced communities into vital and vibrant centers of learning that become the heart of a school.
Since 1997, The Heart of America Foundation® has provided children living in poverty with over 2.5 million library and take-home books. And, the organization has engaged volunteers in more than one million hours of service to communities nationwide.