WASHINGTON, April 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Texas' top
two youth volunteers of 2018, Zane
Magee, 17, of Montgomery
and Caroline Wells, 14, of
Tyler, were honored in the
nation's capital last night for their outstanding volunteer service
during the 23rd annual presentation of The Prudential Spirit of
Community Awards. Zane and Caroline – along with 100 other top
youth volunteers from across the country – each received
$1,000 awards and personal
congratulations from Olympic gold medalist and World Cup champion
Lindsey Vonn at an award ceremony
and gala dinner reception held at the Smithsonian's National Museum
of Natural History.
The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program, sponsored by
Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association
of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), named Zane and Caroline
Texas' top high school and middle level youth volunteers in
February. In addition to their cash awards, they each received an
engraved silver medallion and an all-expense-paid trip with a
parent to Washington, D.C., for
four days of recognition events.
Zane, a senior at Montgomery High School, formed a nonprofit
ministry that supports deployed soldiers and military veterans in a
variety of ways, including providing them with Bibles and care
packages, organizing fundraisers, raising awareness of
post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and even writing an
inspirational book to honor and support servicemen and women. Zane
has always admired the people who fight for their country. When he
was 10, "I wanted to be a part of the military and the only way I
could at a young age was to support those that were actually
serving or had served," he said. When he heard about the prevalence
of PTSD in the military, he knew he wanted to do something to
help.
He started by collecting Bibles at his church and sending them
to deployed soldiers. Soon after, he began sending care packages
containing toiletries and snacks to troops. When he was 13, his
"Beyond the Battlefield Ministry" became a nonprofit organization
and he established a Facebook page to convey information about
special military programs, organizations and events for veterans.
Zane also planned fundraisers, including a gun tournament and a
gala. A conversation with a Navy Seal about PTSD and how faith can
aid in healing led Zane to write a book, Hope & Help for
Heroes, and donate 1,000 copies to veterans and veterans
organizations. Altogether, Zane estimates that he has contributed
$36,000 in cash donations, gifts and
assistance to benefit soldiers and veterans. "Those that serve in
the military are heroes and deserve our honor and respect," said
Zane. "They are sacrificing and fighting for our freedom, and are
willing to lay down their lives for our country."
Caroline, an eighth-grader at All Saints Episcopal School, has
raised more than $40,000 for her
local Salvation Army chapter by selling lemonade, ringing bells
during the holidays, and organizing food and toy drives. When
Caroline was in third grade, a fire destroyed a local Salvation
Army storage building that contained Christmas presents for
children. Her class stepped in to bring gifts there, and while
touring the facility, they saw the rooms where families slept. "I
asked my Mom, 'When do they get to go home?' and she said that this
is their home for now," Caroline said. "As an 8-year-old, it hit me
hard. I knew then I needed to do what I could to make their lives
better," she said.
She started small, with a lemonade stand that raised
$40, and then moved on to more
ambitious projects. She worked with her art teacher to paint
bookcases to benefit the St. Paul Children's Foundation, collected
300 pairs of socks with the French club at her school, gathered
emergency supplies after a tornado swept through her community,
sold her own toys and clothes on eBay to raise money, and made
YouTube videos to promote the Salvation Army's work. She also
organized a movie outing, and is planning a "princess party" for
kids staying at the facility. As word of Caroline's commitment
spread, organizations such as DreamWorks Studios and the Dallas
Cowboys made donations to Caroline's local Salvation Army in her
honor.
"These honorees exemplify something we've known for a long time
– that young volunteers have the power to bring meaningful change
to their communities," said John
Strangfeld, chairman and CEO of Prudential Financial, Inc.
"These students have shown leadership and determination well beyond
their years, and it's a privilege to celebrate their service."
"Through their acts of service, these honorees drive home a
powerful lesson for their peers: that one student really can make a
difference," said Daniel P. Kelley, president of NASSP. "We
are honored to shine a spotlight on the compassion, drive and
ingenuity of each of these young volunteers."
Youth volunteers in grades 5-12 were invited to apply for 2018
Prudential Spirit of Community Awards last fall through schools,
Girl Scout councils, county 4-H organizations, American Red Cross
chapters, YMCAs and affiliates of Points of Light's HandsOn
Network. More than 29,000 middle level and high school students
nationwide participated in this year's program.
The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program was created in
1995 to identify and recognize young people for outstanding
volunteer service – and, in so doing, inspire others to volunteer,
too. In the past 23 years, the program has honored more than
120,000 young volunteers at the local, state and national
level.
For more information about The Prudential Spirit of Community
Awards and this year's honorees, visit
http://spirit.prudential.com or www.nassp.org/spirit.
About NASSP
The National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP)
is the leading organization of and voice for principals and other
school leaders across the United
States. NASSP seeks to transform education through school
leadership, recognizing that the fulfillment of each student's
potential relies on great leaders in every school committed to the
success of each student. Reflecting its long-standing commitment to
student leadership development, NASSP administers the National
Honor Society, National Junior Honor Society, National
Elementary Honor Society, and National Student Council. Learn
more at www.nassp.org.
About Prudential Financial
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 and investment management. 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 www.news.prudential.com.
Editors: For pictures of the Spirit of Community Awards
program logo and medallions, visit
https://spirit.prudential.com/resources/media.
For B-roll of Texas'
honorees at the 2018 national recognition events, contact
Prudential's Harold Banks at (973)
216-4833 or harold.banks@prudential.com.
View original content with
multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/two-texas-youth-honored-for-volunteerism-at-national-award-ceremony-in-washington-dc-300639013.html
SOURCE Prudential Financial, Inc.