Caring Youth Recognition

In the spring, the cities of Golden Valley, Hopkins, and Minnetonka, in conjunction with the Hopkins and Minnetonka school districts, host a Caring Youth Recognition event to honor the caring contributions of area young people. This year’s event is set for March 13, 2008, at the Minnetonka Community Center, 14600 Minnetonka Boulevard, Minnetonka.

A Caring Youth is someone who shows an ongoing awareness of others through volunteer or other activities. Nominations are open to students in grades 7 through 12 who meet at least one of the following criteria:

  • must live in Golden Valley, Hopkins, or Minnetonka
  • must attend school in Hopkins or Minnetonka
  • must do volunteer work (unpaid and not as a requirement for a class or co-curricular program) in Golden Valley, Hopkins, or Minnetonka

Students can only be nominated by the organization they are serving.

Local youth to be honored for outstanding community service

Twenty-three youth who have given outstanding service to others will be honored at the Caring Youth Recognition event Thursday, March 13, 2008, at 7 p.m. at the Minnetonka Community Center, 14600 Minnetonka Blvd., Minnetonka.

This year’s featured speakers are Minnetonka residents Vicki Swenson and her niece Taylor Lee. Vicki and her husband Erik adopted Taylor and her three siblings after their mother (Vicki’s sister) was murdered by an ex-boyfriend. Vicki and Taylor have turned their family’s tragedy into an opportunity to help protect women and children from domestic violence. Last fall, the Swenson-Lee family of ten received a new home in Minnetonka courtesy of ABC-TV’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.

The Caring Youth Recognition salutes young people in grades 7 through 12 who have unselfishly involved themselves in a cause or situation benefiting others. It is designed to honor young people who demonstrate caring by reaching out to others or whose day-to-day lifestyles reflect uncommon concern for others. Caring Youth supports the attitude of giving without expectation of reward or recognition. It encourages an attitude of recognizing the needs of others and responding to those needs in a personal, caring way.

Faith community members, civic and service organizations, and schools in the Golden Valley, Hopkins and Minnetonka communities nominated the youth.

The Caring Youth Recognition event is an extension of the February “We Love Our Kids” month activities, and is a collaborative effort among the cities of Golden Valley, Hopkins, and Minnetonka, and the Minnetonka and Hopkins school districts. Additionally, the Glen Lake Optimists of Minnetonka have again generously lent their financial support to this year’s event.

The 2008 Caring Youth recipients include:

Tyrone Bryant, Robbinsdale Armstrong High School
Nominated by Speak the Word Church International, Golden Valley, for his volunteer work at the church.
Jessica Crelly, Hopkins High School
Nominated by Blair’s Tree of Hope, Hopkins, for her volunteer work with that organization.
Sarah Dye, Minnetonka High School
Nominated by All Saints Lutheran Church, Minnetonka, for her volunteer work at the church.
Allison Greenstein, Robbinsdale Armstrong High School
Nominated by Adath Jesherun Congregation, Minnetonka, for her volunteer work at the synagogue.
Troy Goemer, Minnetonka Middle School East
Nominated by Timber Bay, Long Lake, for his volunteer work at the Timber Bay Christmas tree lot in Minnetonka.
Evan Griggs, Bloomington resident
Nominated by We Can Ride, Inc., Minnetonka, for his volunteer work with horses and riders at We Can Ride.
Karen Gullikson, Hopkins Mainstreet School of Performing Arts
Nominated by The Depot Coffee House for her volunteer work on The Depot Board of Directors.
Aron Larson, Minnetonka High School
Nominated by Ridgedale YMCA for his volunteer work with children through the Minnetonka Heights Community Enhancement Program.
Emily Larson, Minnetonka High School
Nominated by All Saints Lutheran Church, Minnetonka, for her volunteer work with elementary school students at the church.
Kristen Lunde, Hopkins High School
Nominated by Minnetonka United Methodist Church, Minnetonka, for her volunteer work at the church.
Morgan Mahowald, Robbinsdale Cooper High School
Nominated by the Golden Valley Library for her volunteer work with the “Paws to Read� literacy program.
Robyn Pokorny, Hopkins High School
Nominated by the her local Girl Scouts of America troop for her volunteer work to earn the Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards.
Eshaan Rao, Hopkins High School
Nominated by the Tanglen Elementary School Chess Club, Minnetonka, for his volunteer work coaching elementary school students in chess.
Kathryn Schmidt, Hopkins High School
Nominated by St. Luke Presbyterian Church, Minnetonka, for her volunteer work in the church library.
Curtis Shavers, Hopkins High School
Nominated by Hopkins North Junior High School and the Minnetonka Police Department for his volunteer work with the basketball program at the junior high and with the Minnetonka Police Explorers program.
Sarah Strandberg, Hopkins High School
Nominated by the Angel Foundation, Bloomington, for her volunteer work as a teen mentor for children who have a parent with cancer.
Maddie Smart, Hopkins West Junior High
Nominated by the Gatewood Elementary School Stepping Stones, Minnetonka, for her volunteer work with pre-schoolers in this year-before-kindergarten program.
Alison Tsuchiya, Minnetonka High School
Nominated by All Saints Lutheran Church, Minnetonka, for her volunteer work with elementary school children at the church.
Allison Vos, Hopkins High School
Nominated by Carolyn Oldre’s Day Care, Hopkins, for her volunteer work with the group family day care.
Jess Weisman, Hopkins High School
Nominated by Common Bond for his work as a volunteer mentor for children.
Ethan Lang, Ryan Lehrman and Lilli Torrison,Hopkins High School
Nominated together by St. David’s Child Development and Family Services, Minnetonka, for their volunteer work with last summer’s preschool program at St. David’s.