House concurrent resolution congratulating the 2010 Vermont Prudential Spirit of Community Award winners

Offered by: Representatives Frank of Underhill, Smith of Mendon, Till of Jericho, Bohi of Hartford and Clerkin of Hartford

Whereas, since 1995, Prudential Financial and the National Association of Secondary School Principals have presented The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards to locally nominated middle and senior high school students in each state whose volunteer projects have exhibited a special commitment to community service, and

Whereas, in 2010, Colton Blackman, an 18-year-old senior at Woodstock Union High School (WUHS), and Alec Grab, a 12-year-old seventh-grader at Browns River Middle School (BRMS) in Underhill, are the Vermont winners, and

Whereas, Colton Blackman organized a unified snowshoe team, consisting of WUHS students and local special-needs individuals, that participates in Vermont Special Olympics (VSO) competitions, and

Whereas, the organization of the team developed when Colton Blackman learned his school did not participate in the VSO unified team program, and since its inception two years ago, he has assumed the administrative duties and served as the team’s assistant coach, and

Whereas, Alec Grab’s volunteer service is also associated with the VSO as he organized a six-week bike-a-thon that raised $3,400.00 for the organization, and

Whereas, he obtained the necessary local and state permits to conduct the bike-a-thon and personally rode his bicycle 658 miles, raising over $1,500.00, and

Whereas, the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards judges recognized Hannah Cerasoli, a 17-year-old senior at Hartford High School, and Rachel Fifeld, a 17-year-old senior at Mount Mansfield Union High School, as the Vermont distinguished finalists, and

Whereas, Hannah Cerasoli developed a program that encourages elementary school students to study foreign cultures, and she regularly visits local schools to speak with students, and

Whereas, Rachel Fifield led a community service and youth literacy program at the Jericho Town Library, and she tutors third- and fourth-graders in reading and writing, and

Whereas, Colton Blackman and Alec Grab will be presented cash awards of $1,000.00 and an engraved silver medal and will travel on an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C., where they will compete for national recognition and the opportunity to designate a nonprofit charitable organization as the recipient of a $5,000.00 award, now therefore be it

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives:

That the General Assembly congratulates the 2010 Vermont Prudential Spirit of Community Award winners, and be it further

Resolved: That the Secretary of State be directed to send a copy of this resolution to the students honored in this resolution.