Community Corner
Nominees Sought for Eighth Annual Youth of the Year Award
City of Saline Youth Council will present Youth of the Year Award at Saline Salutes banquet.
Do you know a local kid who made a difference in the Saline community last year? If so, he or she could be a candidate for the "Youth of the Year" award.
Once again, the Saline Area Chamber of Commerce Saline Salutes committee has invited the Saline Youth Council to participate and promote the annual “Youth of the Year.”
Saline Salutes is an annual ceremony and celebration honoring members in the community who have gone above and beyond to make Saline a quality place to live. Honors for Lifetime Achievement, Citizen of the Year and the George A. Anderson Vision Award (government/volunteerism) are given at a formal dinner and ceremony in April.
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The Youth of the Year Award recognizes a Saline Area School District resident in grades 7-12 who has made a positive impact in the community the previous year. Nominees are recognized for their volunteer efforts and should be known as an individual to initiate change to better the community, should have sustained participation in extra-curricular activities in the last few years, and should not have benefited financially from their volunteer efforts.
Jody Roberts is the Saline Parks and Recreation secretary and Saline Youth Council advisor. She admits choosing just one honoree is not an easy job.
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“There are so many incredible, talented and generous young people in the Saline Area School District; it’s always very difficult to choose just one ‘winner’,” Roberts said. “I’m always impressed with how devoted so many kids are to their studies, school-related clubs, sports, activities and the community and world around them--and how they excel in so many different ways.”
Roberts said they receive about 15 nomination applications on average per year. A committee consisting of three Saline Youth Council members, two additional teens from the community (chosen by SYC members) and one city council member (Glenn Law) will make their decision around March 7, 2011, after considering all of the applications and discussing how the nominees meet the selection criteria. The group will then vote.
Once an honoree is selected, “The chair of the selection committee will phone him/her to tell the good news and the committee shouts their congratulations in the speaker phone,” Roberts said.
Mary Alice Smith is the executive assistant and office manager for the Saline Area Chamber of Commerce.
“The Youth Council approached us in 2003 and asked to be included in the Saline Salutes Ceremony,” Smith said.
They have participated ever since.
Nominations are being collected until March 4, 2011 at 9 pm. Nomination forms are available on the Saline Youth Council page of the City of Saline website. The Saline Salutes Ceremony will take place April 15, 2011 at he Ellen A Ewing Performing Arts Center at Saline High School.