Junior Citizens of Ontario announced

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North Star, Community, Wednesday, February 15, 2006

PARRY SOUND - The final 12 recipients of the 2005 Ontario Junior Citizens of the Year Awards represent a diverse group of youth, coming from varied ages, interests and backgrounds. Their stories are extremely inspirational and heart-warming, and they all demonstrate exceptional leadership and compassion within their communities.

President of the Ontario Community Newspapers Association (OCNA), Dave Armstrong, is proud to be a part of the Junior Citizens Awards.

“I am always moved by the energy and dedication of these youth. Their commitment to help others is most definitely an inspiration to us all. Ontario’s Junior Citizens exemplify the traits we all hold in the highest regard; those of selflessness, perseverance and integrity. It is a pleasure and an honour to be involved with the Junior Citizens Awards,” said Mr. Armstrong in a press release.

The youth, aged six to 17, will be honoured during a special awards ceremony in conjunction with the OCNA Annual Spring Convention, Friday, March 31 to April 1, 2006. Ontario’s Lieutenant Governor, the Honourable James Bartleman, will officiate the presentations for the Junior Citizens and their families. The ceremony will be held at the Toronto Airport Renaissance Hotel.

The Ontario Junior Citizens program is run through the 298 member newspapers of the OCNA–of which the Parry Sound North Star belongs–with the support of major sponsor Tembec Paper Group. Nominations of eligible youth are received each fall through member community newspapers committed to recognizing outstanding youth who are making a difference in their communities. A panel of five volunteer judges, including two OCNA member editors, two OCNA member publishers and a representative of the sponsor company, must unanimously decide on the final recipients.

This year, there were 130 nominees from across Ontario, who were recognized with certificates of recognition by their local community newspaper. The 12 finalists come from big cities and small towns, representing qualities that are an inspiration to people of all ages.

Below is a synopsis for each finalist. Please note that all recipients are equal and are presented in alphabetical order:

Austin Barnes, 7, Mackenzie Barnes, 11 and Maylee Bossy, 11, Chatham: Austin, Mackenzie and Maylee started A Cookie Can Make a Difference program, with all proceeds going to the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children, earmarked for victims of Hurricane Katrina. They raised an astounding $1528 by baking and selling 278 dozen chocolate-chip cookies.

Leena Bourne, 11, Petrolia: Shortly after Leena’s father was diagnosed with leukemia, she started Leena’s Love Beads for Leukemia. Realizing the costs for his medication and the amount of money that is needed for cancer research, Leena started making bead bracelets and selling them. After one month’s time, she made $165.50. Less than a year later she presented a cheque to the Canadian Cancer Society for $6000.

Brooke Corner, 11, Barrie: Brooke is upbeat and able to overcome challenges easily. She suffers from a variety of serious chronic illnesses, including epilepsy and a rare condition known as pseudo obstruction and motility disorder. Despite all that, she is involved in several endeavours at school and around her community. Her most outstanding contribution has been to the CIBC Run for the Cure, where she raised over $2500.

Rebecca Dixon, 15, Ottawa: Rebecca has proven herself to be a take-charge person over the years. She organized a toy drive for children affected by the Manitoba flood at the age of seven. She has worked on several environmental, children’s rights and philanthropic projects. Her most significant project over the past five years has been the co-ordination of the building of a monument to celebrate the Rights of the Child.

Joy Evans, 12, Jasper: Joy is a born leader and role model. At the age of eight she started a fundraising program, Caring Coins from Canada, for the 9/11 disaster in 2001. In January 2005, Joy brought back her Caring Coins from Canada program to raise money for the Tsunami victims. She helped the school raise over $800, which the Government of Canada matched to make the school’s donations total $1600. And again, she raised over $600 for Hurricane Katrina victims.

Erin Iredale, 11, Stratford: Erin is an inspiration to her friends and family. She has endured six surgeries due to a rare bone disorder. But that doesn’t stop her from anything. She organizes school-wide special event days to raise money for the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, she’s a lunchroom helper, a milk salesperson and an office helper during her noon hours.

She helps younger students in the Reading Assistance Program and works one-on-one with a student with a severe speech impediment.

Natalie Kehl, 18, Harrow: Natalie is admired for her dedication and commitment. When she was 12 she received a one-time burn resulting in pre-cancer. She then designed and distributed sun-safety kits to 117 schools. She’s spoken at many events, and organized several fundraising initiatives. A student bowlathon that she held this year raised funds towards the purchase of a new MRI machine for the Windsor Cancer Centre.

Shawna Kunkel, 17, Powassan: Shawna is known for her positive attitude and enthusiasm. In honour of her best friend Ryan Fleming, who took his own life, she organized and managed an outdoor benefit concert, Surrender the Silence. She was able to raise awareness on suicide; all proceeds went to the Ryan Fleming Memorial Fund.

John Leslie, 13, Arnprior: John is a fighter. A hockey player since the age of eight, he was diagnosed with a type of bone cancer that led to his leg being amputated. But that didn’t stop John’s determination. One year after his surgery, he laced up his skates and was back on the ice. He speaks at schools, hospitals and various charitable organizations.

Kyp Little, 12, Kingston: Kyp has done a lot for his community. He was born with Pierre Robbins Syndrome, which has caused him to be severely hearing and speech impaired. He has been an advocate for both the Canadian Hearing Society and the United Way. Aside from his tremendous volunteer efforts, he took it upon himself to organize a bike-a-thon. He biked 50 kilometres to raise money for a school friend who was suffering from bone cancer.

Bilaal Rajan, 9, Toronto: Bilaal has always had the determination to help people. When he was only four years old, he collected $350 for the people affected by the earthquake in India, by selling clementine oranges door-to-door. He has set up a website to raise awareness of children in need, called Hands for Help. His team raised funds for UNICEF by selling boxes of cookies. He was then honoured by UNICEF Canada as UNICEF’s national child representative.

Kaitlynn Schildroth, 16, Listowel: Kaitlynn started an annual charity called Kaitlynn’s Blades In Motion, to raise money for the gastro-intestinal unit and Marne’s Lounge at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. Being a competitive figure skater, her fundraiser last year consisted of her skating non-stop for 12 hours and raising over $7000 for the Sick Kids Foundation.

To qualify to be an Ontario Junior Citizen, candidates must be an Ontario resident between the ages of six and 17 (in the year of nomination). The nominees may be involved in a worthwhile community service; special young people who are contributing while living with a physical or psychological limitation; or individuals who have performed acts of heroism or bravery. Award recipients may also be good kids who show a commitment to make life better for others and do more than is normally expected of someone their age.

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