Sens. Cochran, Wicker Congratulate Mississippi Volunteer Award Winners
May 5, 2009
U.S. Senators Thad Cochran and Roger Wicker congratulated two Mississippi students, Holley Cunningham of Pascagoula and Holly Travis of Starkville, on Capitol Hill today for being named the top two youth volunteers in Mississippi for 2009 by The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program.
Cunningham, 16, and Travis, 14, – along with the top youth volunteers from across the nation – were in Washington this week for a gala award ceremony at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, where they each received $1,000 awards in recognition of their outstanding community service.
“I commend Cunningham and Travis for their efforts in improving the communities around them and for the positive impact they have undoubtedly had on others,” said Cochran. “These young leaders are inspiring examples to us all of the importance of giving back to the communities in which we live.”
Wicker added: “I was glad to have the opportunity to hear first-hand about accomplishments of these extraordinary young Mississippians. Their achievements should serve as a reminder that through volunteering we can all improve the communities we live in.”
Cunningham, a sophomore at Resurrection Catholic School, has spearheaded a project to build an accessible playground for the forty-two disabled children, one of whom is her brother Ron, attending the Jackson County Exceptional School. Cunningham said, “One day while at his school I saw that he and all of the other children could not play on a playground like typical children. I did some research and found that with some good planning and a lot of hard work, I could change that.” After launching a campaign that raised nearly $100,000, Cunningham completed Phase I of her project, which included a core play area with a wheelchair ramp, therapeutic swingset, slide, painting station, wheelchair swing and rubber surfacing. “The most memorable part of this project was getting to see the smile on my brother’s face when he got to swing for the first time,” Cunningham stated.
Travis, an eighth-grader at Armstrong Middle School and president of the school’s Builder’s Club, helped develop an “adopt-a-grandparent” program at a local nursing home. “I feel strongly that our seniors are often forgotten or considered infirm, but I find the opposite is true,” she said. “They are a bit of history to be respected.” Holly leads her club on monthly visits to the nursing home to play bingo, make arts and crafts, sing, and read with the residents. She also volunteers regularly with various other organizations and plans service projects as secretary of her school’s student council. “What motivates me the most when participating in volunteer work is seeing the joy in people’s eyes after helping with their needs,” she said.
Cunningham and Travis were chosen from a field of nearly 20,000 applicants from across the country. The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program was created fourteen years ago by Prudential Financial, Inc. The program seeks to encourage community service and to identify and reward young role models.
Cunningham, 16, and Travis, 14, – along with the top youth volunteers from across the nation – were in Washington this week for a gala award ceremony at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, where they each received $1,000 awards in recognition of their outstanding community service.
“I commend Cunningham and Travis for their efforts in improving the communities around them and for the positive impact they have undoubtedly had on others,” said Cochran. “These young leaders are inspiring examples to us all of the importance of giving back to the communities in which we live.”
Wicker added: “I was glad to have the opportunity to hear first-hand about accomplishments of these extraordinary young Mississippians. Their achievements should serve as a reminder that through volunteering we can all improve the communities we live in.”
Cunningham, a sophomore at Resurrection Catholic School, has spearheaded a project to build an accessible playground for the forty-two disabled children, one of whom is her brother Ron, attending the Jackson County Exceptional School. Cunningham said, “One day while at his school I saw that he and all of the other children could not play on a playground like typical children. I did some research and found that with some good planning and a lot of hard work, I could change that.” After launching a campaign that raised nearly $100,000, Cunningham completed Phase I of her project, which included a core play area with a wheelchair ramp, therapeutic swingset, slide, painting station, wheelchair swing and rubber surfacing. “The most memorable part of this project was getting to see the smile on my brother’s face when he got to swing for the first time,” Cunningham stated.
Travis, an eighth-grader at Armstrong Middle School and president of the school’s Builder’s Club, helped develop an “adopt-a-grandparent” program at a local nursing home. “I feel strongly that our seniors are often forgotten or considered infirm, but I find the opposite is true,” she said. “They are a bit of history to be respected.” Holly leads her club on monthly visits to the nursing home to play bingo, make arts and crafts, sing, and read with the residents. She also volunteers regularly with various other organizations and plans service projects as secretary of her school’s student council. “What motivates me the most when participating in volunteer work is seeing the joy in people’s eyes after helping with their needs,” she said.
Cunningham and Travis were chosen from a field of nearly 20,000 applicants from across the country. The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program was created fourteen years ago by Prudential Financial, Inc. The program seeks to encourage community service and to identify and reward young role models.
