Green Oaks, Oswego teens win national volunteer award

Illinois' top two youth volunteers of 2015, Nicholas Tasiopoulos, 17, of Green Oaks and Madeline Hoskins-Cumbey, 14, of Oswego, were honored recently in Washington, D.C., during the 20th annual presentation of The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards.

The 100 top youth volunteers from across the country each received $1,000 awards and personal congratulations from "Good Morning America" co-anchor Robin Roberts at an awards ceremony 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 Tasiopoulos and Hoskins-Cumbey Illinois' 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.

Nicholas, a senior at Libertyville High School, created a volunteer organization with his sisters that has raised more than $80,000 to find a cure for the disease that took their cousin's life: pancreatic cancer.

"When my cousin died at a young age, my sisters and I were devastated," he said. "The loss we endured spurred us to organize the 'I Want To Be a Lifesaver' organization." Initially, the siblings made necklaces in the shape of lifesaver candies and sold them to friends and family members, with the proceeds going to the Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research.

Soon, Nicholas and his sisters were engaged in other activities to raise awareness and funds for research, and dozens of other volunteers joined their campaign.

For example, he knocked on doors to ask for donations, sat outside local grocery stores to sell necklaces, helped host ice shows, and held silent auctions and bake sales. He also contacted local businesses and large corporations, eventually obtaining large financial commitments.

He plans to start a chapter of his organization in college, and vows to continue to raise funds until a cure has been found. "I thought I had lost hope forever when my cousin died of this horrible disease," he said, "but I now feel surrounded by that hope, nourished and encouraged to step up to any challenge with the knowledge that I have the power to make a difference."

Madeline, an eighth-grader at Wheaton Christian Grammar School, founded a nonprofit organization with her younger brother that seeks to engage young people in promoting healthy eating, accessible clean water, and other essentials for healthy living. Madeline's family has a history of poor health, so she learned early on the fundamentals of a healthy lifestyle. Wanting to share this knowledge with others, she started an after-school club that taught 30 kids about nutrition, hydration and healthy habits. Club members then planted an organic garden at their school with a grant she won.

Clubs and gardens continue to be a major part of Madeline's "SMART2bfit" program. She and her brother organize clubs and camps to teach kids how to be healthy through fun physical activities such as cooking and gardening. They have sponsored five youth-run gardens that have raised thousands of pounds of fresh, organic produce for local food banks. And they organize community walks that educate participants about the global water crisis while raising money to build wells and water tanks in Africa.

"I believe today's youth can be a healthier generation that serves others," she said. "Together, we can end hunger and thirst locally and globally, one garden, walk, and kid at time."

"As we celebrate the 20th anniversary of The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, we are delighted to recognize the 2015 honorees for their exemplary volunteer service," said John Strangfeld, chairman and CEO of Prudential Financial, Inc. "These young people have demonstrated leadership, compassion and perseverance, and we look forward to seeing all they accomplish in the future."

"These honorees represent the best of what America's youth have to offer," said G.A. Buie, president of NASSP. "They have set a powerful example for their peers by proving that one young person really can make a difference, and it is a privilege to shine a spotlight on their good works."

Youth volunteers in grades 5-12 were invited to apply for 2015 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards last fall through schools, Girl Scout councils, county 4-H organizations, American Red Cross chapters, YMCAs and affiliates of the HandsOn Network. More than 33,000 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 20 years, the program has honored more than 100,000 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.