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2009 Regional Winners

ARIZONA

  1. Bommarito, Alex
  2. Age: 18*
  3. City: Gilbert
  4. Activity: Diagnosed with juvenile diabetes at 3 years old, Alex raised more than $200,000 for diabetes research.
  1. Goldfeld, Jacob
  2. Age: 11*
  3. City: Scottsdale
  4. Activity: Jacob created Bear Hugs which raised funds to donate 325 teddy bears to asthma hospital patients.
  1. Goode, Charles
  2. Age: 12*
  3. City: Tucson
  4. Activity: After a friend was diagnosed with autism, Charles raised $7,000 for autism treatment by playing 100 holes of golf in one day.
  1. Goulder, Alison
  2. Age: 18*
  3. City: Scottsdale
  4. Activity: Alison created Operation Grateful which sent more than 80,000 Beanie Babies to U.S. troops for Iraqi children.
  1. Rinehart, Eleanor
  2. Age: 11*
  3. City: Tucson
  4. Activity: After losing loved ones to cancer, Eleanor made 12 wigs for cancer patients through Locks for Love.

ARKANSAS

  1. Taylor, Anna
  2. Age: 18*
  3. City: Little Rock
  4. Activity: Anna organized six trips to a Guatemala orphanage distributing more than 5,000 lbs. of humanitarian aid.

CALIFORNIA

  1. Andary, Reed
  2. Age: 10*
  3. City: Half Moon Bay
  4. Activity: Since he was 5, Reed has held a birthday fundraiser collecting more than $3,500 for homeless and abused animals.
  1. Atkison, Paige
  2. Age: 11*
  3. City: Bakersfield
  4. Activity: Paige raised $50,000 to provide medical surgeries for more than 200 children in developing countries.
  1. Boyd, Madeline
  2. Age: 11*
  3. City: Yucaipa
  4. Activity: Madeline worked with children with autism as a tutor, developing social skills.
  1. Etter, Daniel
  2. Age: 18*
  3. City: Burbank
  4. Activity: Daniel raised more than $10,000 to rebuild his church's bus. He donated the bus, filled with necessities and school supplies, to a ministry in New Mexico.
  1. Hay, Taylor
  2. Age: 10*
  3. City: Ramona
  4. Activity: After being diagnosed with cancer in 2008, Taylor created a foundation and is a spokesperson for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
  1. Koehler, Kelsey
  2. Age: 17*
  3. City: Paso Robles
  4. Activity: Kelsey raised more than $27,000 for the American Cancer Society through Relay for Life.
  1. Lyon, Stefan
  2. Age: 13*
  3. City: San Francisco
  4. Activity: Stefan raised money and wrote three books to help build two schools in Kenya.
  1. Mackey, Lauren
  2. Age: 18*
  3. City: Sacramento
  4. Activity: Lauren help raise more than $5,000 for homeless teens by selling homemade handbags.
  1. Malarkey, Brandon
  2. Age: 11*
  3. City: Paradise
  4. Activity: Brandon helped more than 700 underprivileged African children by collecting books and school supplies.
  1. Minnig, Mikayla
  2. Age: 10*
  3. City: Downey
  4. Activity: Affected by arthritis since age 4, Mikayla volunteered and raised more than $7,000 for the Arthritis Foundation.
  1. Mody, Alison
  2. Age: 11*
  3. City: Sunnyvale
  4. Activity: Alison raised more than $4,000 for a foundation for blind babies.
  1. Nguyen, George
  2. Age: 17*
  3. City: San Jose
  4. Activity: George helped teach elderly citizens basic computer and Internet skills.
  1. Pillutla, Pranati
  2. Age: 11*
  3. City: Simi Valley
  4. Activity: Pranati volunteered teaching horseback riding lessons to children with special needs.
  1. Romano, Emily
  2. Age: 14*
  3. City: El Cajon
  4. Activity: Emily started a Roots and Shoots chapter which planted more than 800 endangered trees in areas affected by wildfires.
  1. Sanchez, Patricia
  2. Age: 17*
  3. City: Norco
  4. Activity: To help honor elderly veterans, Patricia created World War II documentaries that have been shown to thousands of students across the country.
  1. White, Jamie
  2. Age: 17*
  3. City: Alta Loma
  4. Activity: Jamie helped found The Giving Spirit program raising more than $10,000 for Los Angeles homeless.
  1. Witherspoon, Jack
  2. Age: 8*
  3. City: Redondo Beach
  4. Activity: A two-time leukemia survivor, Jack created Cooking Up Dreams which raised more than $60,000 for cancer research.

COLORADO

  1. Dixon, Jack
  2. Age: 12*
  3. City: Idaho Springs
  4. Activity: Jack coordinated a school-wide recycling program.
  1. McGann, Jillian
  2. Age: 8*
  3. City: Monument
  4. Activity: Jillian organized Walk for a Well which raised more than $6,000 for clean drinking water for a village in Zambia.
  1. Rose, Anna
  2. Age: 18*
  3. City: Elizabeth
  4. Activity: Anna created Sight Angels which provided more than $265,000 worth of eye glasses and accessories to those in need throughout the world.
  1. Ryther, Andrew
  2. Age: 16*
  3. City: Arvada
  4. Activity: Andrew created a furniture recycling program benefiting individuals with mental illness by furnishing their households.

CONNECTICUT

  1. Comer, Carina
  2. Age: 17*
  3. City: Farmington
  4. Activity: Carina, a former cancer patient, raised $15,200 by selling baked goods to purchase toys for child cancer patients.
  1. Johnston, Benjamin
  2. Age: 12
  3. City: Farmington
  4. Benjamin raised more than $23,500 for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's Disease).
  1. Koch, Kristen
  2. Age: 18*
  3. City: Fairfield
  4. Activity: Kristen organized The Stop the Cycle walk, raising more than $124,000 for Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome.

DELAWARE

  1. McNeill, Ashley
  2. Age: 17*
  3. City: Wilmington
  4. Activity: Ashley volunteered at many book drives and helped donate 5,000 books to Toys for Tots.

FLORIDA

  1. Allen-Krug, Emily
  2. Age: 11*
  3. City: Seffner
  4. Activity: Emily served more than 5,000 meals to those in need.
  1. Carrillo, Maria
  2. Age: 17*
  3. City: Tampa
  4. Activity: Maria formed the Hispanic Youth Voice of Tampa dedicated to promoting community leadership, education and participation.
  1. Chana, Kaitlyn
  2. Age: 18*
  3. City: Longwood
  4. Activity: Kaitlyn created a homemade cards program which impacted nearly 36,000 children living with an illness.
  1. Denkler, Amanda
  2. Age: 11*
  3. City: Delray Beach
  4. Activity: Amanda created Kids of Compassion which distributed more than 700 shoe boxes filled with food and toiletries to those in need.
  1. Hands, Darian
  2. Age: 18*
  3. City: Tallahassee
  4. Activity: Darian helped 14 classmates earn college scholarships by leading his state champion Black History Brain Bowl team.
  1. Henschel, Lauren
  2. Age: 16*
  3. City: North Miami Beach
  4. Activity: At the National Psoriasis Walk for Awareness, Lauren raised $115,000 while influencing more than 900 children to participate.
  1. Kohner, Andrew
  2. Age: 17*
  3. City: Wellington
  4. Activity: Andrew created Bikes for Kids' which gives bikes and helmets to low-income children.
  1. May, Haley
  2. Age: 12*
  3. City: Tallahassee
  4. Activity: Diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, Haley organized a car wash which raised $5,765 for the American Diabetes Association.
  1. Reese, Bailey
  2. Age: 13
  3. City: Niceville
  4. Activity: Bailey created Hero Hugs, which raised more than $400,000 to thank troops overseas for their service.
  1. Stone, Katherine
  2. Age: 15*
  3. City: Fort Walton Beach
  4. Activity: Katherine raised more than $48,000 to help create a sick room at a cat shelter fostering 50 cats.
  1. Williams, Joshua
  2. Age: 8*
  3. City: Miami Beach
  4. Activity: Joshua helped feed more than 550 families in need by distributing 175,000 lbs. of food.
  1. Youtz, Tyler
  2. Age: 8*
  3. City: Orlando
  4. Activity: Diagnosed with neuroblastoma cancer, Tyler created Toys From Tyler, which donated more than 700 toys to hospitalized children.

GEORGIA

  1. Bright, Sterling
  2. Age: 10*
  3. City: Riverdale
  4. Activity: Sterling collected and donated more than 250 toiletry bags to needy families.
  1. Brock, Amelia
  2. Age: 11*
  3. City: Gainesville
  4. Activity: Amelia created a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society, raising $68,000.
  1. Buford, Kathryn
  2. Age: 17*
  3. City: Cordele
  4. Activity: Kathryn created a program which raised money to buy sleeping bags and pajamas for more than 100 foster children.
  1. Edenfield, Ansley
  2. Age: 17*
  3. City: Loganville
  4. Activity: Ansley raised $13,000 for breast cancer research.
  1. Rahman, Zayan
  2. Age: 8*
  3. City: Woodstock
  4. Activity: Zayan raised money to create free health care clinics for those in need.

ILLINOIS

  1. Burchell, David
  2. Age: 18*
  3. City: Chicago
  4. Activity: David volunteered teaching math, science and technology programs to young students.
  1. Busca, Tony
  2. Age: 12*
  3. City: Frankfort
  4. Activity: Tony created a charity which fixes old bikes and then donates them to children in need.
  1. Colliander, Reid
  2. Age: 13*
  3. City: Glen Ellyn
  4. Activity: A brain tumor surgery survivor, Reid raised more than $100,000 for brain tumor research through lemonade stands and bike rides.
  1. Kenney, Patrick
  2. Age: 17*
  3. City: Homewood
  4. Activity: Patrick volunteered landscaping and gardening maintenance for a Cancer Support Center.
  1. Laughead, Emily
  2. Age: 10*
  3. City: North Aurora
  4. Activity: Diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, Emily raised more than $29,800 for diabetes research.
  1. Lukacek, Jake
  2. Age: 7*
  3. City: Mokena
  4. Activity: During the holidays, Jake raised donations to adopt a family in need giving toys, food and clothing.
  1. Martin, Sydney
  2. Age: 11*
  3. City: Wilmette
  4. Activity: Diagnosed with a rare cell disease, Sydney raised nearly $50,000 for research by selling homemade jewelry.
  1. Parton, Joshua
  2. Age: 14*
  3. City: Normal
  4. Activity: Joshua volunteered at a summer camp for children with autism and raised more than $2,500 for autism research.
  1. Schumaker, Skye
  2. Age: 7*
  3. City: Heyworth
  4. Activity: Through art projects, Skye raised more than $800 for Illinois flood victims.
  1. Smith, Julia
  2. Age: 10*
  3. City: Elk Grove Village
  4. Activity: Julia sold homemade pins to raise more than $2,700 for autism research.
  1. Trela, Kathryn
  2. Age: 17*
  3. City: Glencoe
  4. Activity: Kathryn collected more than 50,000 books for schools serving at-risk children.
  1. Weber, Philip
  2. Age: 17*
  3. City: Des Plaines
  4. Activity: Philip raised more than $45,000 for care packages for veterans.

INDIANA

  1. Duffy, Eamonn
  2. Age: 10*
  3. City: Schererville
  4. Activity: Eamonn began a recycling program at his school.
  1. Gough, Kyle
  2. Age: 18*
  3. City: Wolcottville
  4. Activity: Kyle began PCs for Youth, a program that refurbishes old computers for children and youth organizations.
  1. Kelley-Hennis, Dylain
  2. Age: 10*
  3. City: Muncie
  4. Activity: Dylain went door-to-door to raise more than $300 for Relay for Life funding cancer research.
  1. Mansfield, Alison
  2. Age: 14*
  3. City: Fort Wayne
  4. Activity: Allison created Sock for Soldiers which sent more than 16,000 items, supplies and letters to troops more overseas.
  1. Siadat, Nasser
  2. Age: 17*
  3. City: Indianapolis
  4. Activity: Nasser created One City Indy to combat racial, ethnic, religious and social differences in his community.
  1. Ulrey, Joe
  2. Age: 11*
  3. City: Mooresville
  4. Activity: Joe persuaded his class to adopt a stretch of a polluted river which helped improve the water quality.

IOWA

  1. Delaney, Kristen
  2. Age: 18*
  3. City: Fort Dodge
  4. Activity: Diagnosed with arthritis at a young age, Kristen dedicated more than 400 hours to the Arthritis Foundation.
  1. Roth, Justin
  2. Age: 12*
  3. City: West Branch
  4. Activity: Justin educated his community about recycling and created a recycling program for fluorescent lamps.

KANSAS

  1. Hanson, Jeffrey
  2. Age: 15*
  3. City: Overland Park
  4. Activity: Visually impaired from neurofibromatosis, Jeffrey raised more than $100,000 for 12 local, national and international charities including optic nerve tumor research.

KENTUCKY

  1. Curry, Spencer
  2. Age: 17*
  3. City: Shelbyville
  4. Activity: An avid skateboarder, Spencer led fundraising efforts to help build a skate park in his community.
  1. Reynolds, Mariah
  2. Age: 10*
  3. City: Covington
  4. Activity: Mariah used her birthday money to send more than 500 Valentine's Day cards to troops more overseas.
  1. Sabharwal, Spencer
  2. Age: 12*
  3. City: Lexington
  4. Activity: Spencer collected more than 2,000 books for patients in hospitals and medical centers.

MAINE

  1. Carpenter, Makayla
  2. Age: 15*
  3. City: Cape Neddick
  4. Activity: Makayla organized a miniature horse show and raised $11,000 for a mother diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
  1. Paradie, Giles
  2. Age: 7*
  3. City: Auburn
  4. Activity: Giles participated in a polar dip raising $7,000 for a local childhood cancer program.

MARYLAND

  1. Bernhardt, Amelia
  2. Age: 10*
  3. City: Pasadena
  4. Activity: Through bake sales, Amelia raised $2,200 which helped a West African village build a well providing safe drinking water.
  1. Lewis, Benjamin
  2. Age: 16*
  3. City: Potomac
  4. Activity: Benjamin raised more than $13,000 for Habitat for Humanity by creating a Lego building competition.

MASSACHUSETTS

  1. Bergquist, Robbie
  2. Age: 17*
  3. City: Norwell
  4. Activity: Robbie co-founded Cell Phones for Soldiers which sent more than 450,000 prepaid phone cards to troops more overseas.
  1. Kenny, Kate
  2. Age: 6*
  3. City: Marshfield Hills
  4. Activity: Kate donated more than $300 to a clothing and toy bank for families in need and volunteered as the donation toy tester.
  1. Landry, Moira
  2. Age: 12*
  3. City: Swampscott
  4. Activity: Moira volunteered at a children's homeless shelter and raised money for school supplies for those in need.
  1. Wallack, Max
  2. Age: 12*
  3. City: Natick
  4. Activity: Max collected and donated more than 900 puzzles to alzheimer's and dementia nursing homes and medical facilities.

MICHIGAN

  1. Bisht, Anjali
  2. Age: 18*
  3. City: East Lansing
  4. Activity: Anjali helped organize a 5K walk/run raising money for African children who are afflicted with the AIDS epidemic.
  1. Grammer, Adam
  2. Age: 18*
  3. City: Kewadin
  4. Activity: Adam dedicated more than 6,950 hours of community service to a wide range of organizations and causes.
  1. Kilberg, Samuel
  2. Age: 17*
  3. City: Rochester Hills
  4. Activity: Samuel created a baseball tournament which raised $6,500 for military veterans who suffer from traumatic brain injury.
  1. Kline, Caleb
  2. Age: 18*
  3. City: Ann Arbor
  4. Activity: Caleb raised more than $77,000 for children's education for schools in Michigan, Puerto Rico and Kenya.
  1. Lipinski, Michael
  2. Age: 11*
  3. City: Roseville
  4. Activity: Michael created a program providing children with traumatic brain injuries a therapeutic outlet through fishing.
  1. McGeary, Michael
  2. Age: 12*
  3. City: Orion
  4. Activity: Michael created community awareness and education for properly disposing electronic items.
  1. Truchan, Haley
  2. Age: 8*
  3. City: Grand Blanc
  4. Activity: Haley volunteered at the humane society and raised more than $500 for the shelter.
  1. Vinecki, Winter
  2. Age: 10*
  3. City: Gaylord
  4. Activity: Dedicated to her father who recently died of prostate cancer, Winter raised more than $150,000 for Athletes for a Cure by organizing and competing in triathlons.

MINNESOTA

  1. Mohtadi, Shahrzad
  2. Age: 16*
  3. City: Edina
  4. Activity: Shahrzad raised more than $4,000 for the Genocide Intervention Network while bringing refugee camp awareness to her community.
  1. Ooms, Keli
  2. Age: 18*
  3. City: Hollandale
  4. Activity: After a local town was destroyed by a tornado, Keli led efforts filling 6 semitrailers with supplies for more than 300 families in need.
  1. Schwartz, Laurel
  2. Age: 15*
  3. City: St. Paul
  4. Activity: Diagnosed with Crohn's disease, Laurel donated $10,000 to Crohn's research by selling handmade jewelry.
  1. Spreeman, Taylor
  2. Age: 11*
  3. City: West St. Paul
  4. Activity: Taylor created a service project which donated more than 1,200 sandwiches to a homeless shelter.
  1. Steinbauer, Jacob
  2. Age: 12*
  3. City: Cologne
  4. Activity: Jacob co-founded the Benton Lake Watershed Conservancy which helped improve water quality.

MISSISSIPPI

  1. Gunn, Brantley
  2. Age: 17*
  3. City: Brandon
  4. Activity: Brantley created a program which fixes up abandoned houses for families who then take ownership.

MISSOURI

  1. Kehm, Alexander
  2. Age: 14*
  3. City: Fenton
  4. Activity: Alexander created an organization that donated more than 12,000 pieces of soccer equipment to underprivileged children.
  1. Mozer, Jacob
  2. Age: 12*
  3. City: Blue Springs
  4. Activity: Jacob, a cancer survivor, helped raise more than $312,000 for pediatric cancer research through lemonade stands across Kansas City.
  1. Rawal, Aranyak
  2. Age: 18*
  3. City: St. Louis
  4. Activity: Aranyak helped set up a medical clinic in a remote village in India which benefits 200-400 people weekly.
  1. Soto, Unique
  2. Age: 11*
  3. City: Kaiser
  4. Activity: Unique participated in a 5k run raising nearly $2,000 for the Special Olympics.
  1. Zimerman, Alexus
  2. Age: 12*
  3. City: Ballwin
  4. Activity: Alexus donated items to 11 various organizations by collecting leftovers from garage sales.

NEBRASKA

  1. Hernandez, Emily
  2. Age: 11*
  3. City: Lincoln
  4. Activity: Emily petitioned state government to save the state fair by collecting more than 200 signatures from children.

NEVADA

  1. Osborne, Sarah
  2. Age: 11*
  3. City: Reno
  4. Activity: Sarah made and sold Christmas ornaments to raise awareness for wild horse capture.

NEW HAMPSHIRE

  1. Mohanasundaram, Samita
  2. Age: 17*
  3. City: Nashua
  4. Activity: Samita collected more than 12,000 books and school supplies for children in impoverished countries, hurricane-affected areas and local community centers.

NEW JERSEY

  1. Agarwal, Ayna
  2. Age: 17*
  3. City: Colonia
  4. Activity: Ayna raised more than $10,000 for homeless animal protection and educated her community on humane treatment of animals.
  1. Burke, Ryan
  2. Age: 10*
  3. City: Teaneck
  4. Activity: Diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, Ryan raised $20,000 for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
  1. Fiorentino, Rocco
  2. Age: 12*
  3. City: Voorhees
  4. Activity: Born visually impaired, Rocco advocated for Braille education services and helped create Blindness Awareness Month in New Jersey.
  1. Johnson, Ciara
  2. Age: 8*
  3. City: Edison
  4. Activity: Ciara donated 200 toys to children in local hospitals.
  1. Lamhing, Allisandra
  2. Age: 11*
  3. City: New Providence
  4. Activity: Allisandra raised $14,322 for pediatric cancer through a spaghetti dinner.
  1. McNamara, Shannon
  2. Age: 15*
  3. City: Basking Ridge
  4. Activity: Shannon collected and transported 1,000 books and 10 computers for a girls school in Tanzania.
  1. Sparacio, Jonathan
  2. Age: 17*
  3. City: Pitman
  4. Activity: Jonathan raised $20,000 by riding his bicycle from coast-to-coast raising money for an orphanage in Kenya.
  1. Tilton, Morgan
  2. Age: 14*
  3. City: Bordentown
  4. Activity: Morgan raised more than $127,000 for supplies to troops more overseas and Iraqi children.

NEW MEXICO

  1. Devigne, Joelle
  2. Age: 17*
  3. City: Albuquerque
  4. Activity: Joelle volunteered at a homeless shelter and has written grants to help acquire additional funding for food.
  1. Smith, Janessa
  2. Age: 12*
  3. City: Albuquerque
  4. Activity: Janessa organized a service project for a homeless shelter donating toiletry care bags, toys and books.

NEW YORK

  1. Angileri, Courtney
  2. Age: 7*
  3. City: Staten Island
  4. Activity: Courtney raised more than $10,000 and collected more than 68 inches of hair for Locks of Love.
  1. Burman, Max
  2. Age: 12*
  3. City: Delmar
  4. Activity: Max biked 430 miles which raised $8,500 for Habitat for Humanity.
  1. Cherniss, Gabriel
  2. Age: 7*
  3. City: Suffern
  4. Activity: After his dog was diagnosed with cancer, Gabriel raised more than $3,000 for pets with cancer and other illnesses.
  1. Chiu, Hewett
  2. Age: 17*
  3. City: Brooklyn
  4. Activity: Hewett created an emergency medical service organization where he had trained more than 1,000 people in basic and advanced life support.
  1. Ducker, Evan
  2. Age: 15*
  3. City: Kingston
  4. Activity: Living with facial vascular hemangioma, Evan wrote a book educating children about vascular birthmarks.
  1. Gallagher, Aiden
  2. Age: 16*
  3. City: Salt Point
  4. Activity: Diagnosed with lupus at 11, Aiden raised $16,000 for the Lupus Foundation of America and designed LFA awareness bracelets.
  1. Leslie, Colin
  2. Age: 17*
  3. City: Rye
  4. Activity: Colin created a walk for celiac disease which raised $161,000 for the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University.
  1. Puma, Kayleigh
  2. Age: 17*
  3. City: Bergen
  4. Activity: Through the Red Cross, Kayleigh trained more than 475 adults in her community emergency preparedness procedures.
  1. Robertson, Jon
  2. Age: 12*
  3. City: Cuba
  4. Activity: Jon raised $30,000 by collecting recycled materials and fundraising, to create an event for handicapped and underprivileged children and their families.
  1. Spinowitz, Jake
  2. Age: 18*
  3. City: Woodbury
  4. Activity: Jake created an organization which collects hearing aids to donate to those who cannot afford hearing care.
  1. Taylor, William
  2. Age: 10*
  3. City: Southampton
  4. Activity: William created a foundation in which kids help kids in need by donating school supplies.

NORTH CAROLINA

  1. Hodshon, Michael
  2. Age: 14*
  3. City: Cary
  4. Activity: Michael sold handmade bookmarks raising more than $25,000 for cancer research.
  1. Jackson, Aspen
  2. Age: 12*
  3. City: Elkin
  4. Activity: Aspen co-created Kids Helping Soldiers Help Kids which sent school supply kits to American soldiers for Iraqi children.
  1. Smith, Zoe
  2. Age: 12*
  3. City: Chapel Hill
  4. Activity: Zoe raised $11,000 toward hunger by selling handmade jewelry and baked goods.
  1. Speight, Camden
  2. Age: 9*
  3. City: Greensboro
  4. Activity: Camden volunteered for hurricane relief and later co-wrote a children's book on his volunteering experiences.
  1. Stinson, Olivia
  2. Age: 16*
  3. City: Charlotte
  4. Activity: Olivia created a pen pals book club for children of incarcerated parents to help raise self-esteem through community service.

NORTH DAKOTA

  1. Liedberg, Ellisabeth
  2. Age: 6*
  3. City: Fargo
  4. Activity: Ellisabeth replenished food pantries in her community by hand-picking corn and fundraising door-to-door.
  1. Rud, Mariah
  2. Age: 18*
  3. City: Fargo
  4. Activity: Mariah encouraged local schools to participate in a food drive that donated 142,000 lbs. of food to local pantries.

OHIO

  1. Carey, Paul
  2. Age: 18*
  3. City: West Chester
  4. Activity: Paul raised more than $300,000 for ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) by selling root beer floats and hot dogs, sponsoring walkathons and lobbying for corporate donations.
  1. Dues, Emma
  2. Age: 12*
  3. City: Kettering
  4. Activity: Through garage and bake sales, Emma raised $5,000 for the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America.
  1. Fay, Samantha
  2. Age: 17*
  3. City: Bay Village
  4. Activity: Samantha started a school supply drive collecting more than 46,000 items for students in need.
  1. Phillips, Ashley
  2. Age: 17*
  3. City: Reynoldsburg
  4. Activity: Ashley began an organization dedicated to improving the lives and self-esteem of teenage girls.
  1. Raisch, Owen
  2. Age: 17*
  3. City: Hillsboro
  4. Activity: Owen created a youth organization dedicated to cleaning up parks while raising $17,000 to renovate tennis courts.
  1. Turner, Hannah
  2. Age: 8*
  3. City: Perrysburg
  4. Activity: Hannah created Hannah's Socks which collected more than 100,000 items such as socks, hats and gloves for the homeless.
  1. White, Brett
  2. Age: 8*
  3. City: Macedonia
  4. Activity: Brett volunteered as a North Pole elf for Polar Express runs which served more than 16,000 passengers.
  1. Williams, Hannah
  2. Age: 9*
  3. City: Dublin
  4. Activity: Hannah collected more than 1,000 toys for The Heart Center at Nationwide Children's Hospital.

OKLAHOMA

  1. Farris-Burkhalter, Kiersten
  2. Age: 12*
  3. City: Calera
  4. Activity: Kiersten collected and distributed more than 1,500 backpacks filled with school supplies for children in need.
  1. Yelley, Maggie
  2. Age: 10*
  3. City: Claremore
  4. Activity: Maggie raised more than $2,500 to provide gifts for children and families in the hospital.

OREGON

  1. Ausland, Mimi
  2. Age: 13
  3. City: Bend
  4. Activity: As an animal lover, Mimi created a Website which raised $250,000, generating more than 110,000 lbs. of food for sheltered dogs and cats.

PENNSYLVANIA

  1. Antonik, Anthony
  2. Age: 18*
  3. City: Etters
  4. Activity: To help build an outdoor nature center at his school, Anthony raised $7,100 and gathered 65 volunteers to construct the classroom.
  1. Bedner, Michael
  2. Age: 18*
  3. City: Charleroi
  4. Activity: Michael volunteered more than 1,000 hours to the Carroll Township Fire Department. and Monongahela Valley Hospital.
  1. Boody, Elizabeth
  2. Age: 12*
  3. City: Pittsburgh
  4. Activity: Elizabeth donated 10 inches of her hair as well as her allowance to Locks of Love.
  1. Brown, Julian
  2. Age: 12*
  3. City: Lancaster
  4. Activity: Julian raised $8,000 to help children in need in his community and in Africa.
  1. Durkac, Nikole
  2. Age: 17*
  3. City: Doylestown
  4. Activity: Creating Coaches vs. Cancer, Nikole helped raise $29,000 for cancer research through basketball clinics and charity games.
  1. Hutchinson, Althea Mae
  2. Age: 6*
  3. City: West Chester
  4. Activity: Althea Mae raised more than $10,000 for pediatric cancer research through lemonade stands.
  1. Iorio, Alexandra
  2. Age: 16*
  3. City: New Castle
  4. Activity: Alexandra held a cheerleading competition which raised $11,300 for the American Cancer Society and the YMCA Youth Scholarship Fund.
  1. Kuhns, Kylie
  2. Age: 12*
  3. City: Mifflinburg
  4. Activity: Inspired by her sister's battle with leukemia, Kylie created a foundation that raised more than $24,500 for children with cancer.
  1. Powell, Grace
  2. Age: 8*
  3. City: Waynesboro
  4. Activity: Grace collected more than 100 nonperishable food items for the Waynesboro Area Human Services Council.
  1. Rowan, Hannah
  2. Age: 9*
  3. City: Collegeville
  4. Activity: Hannah collected three carloads full of clothing, toys and supplies for a homeless shelter.
  1. Zauzmer, Emily
  2. Age: 12*
  3. City: Dresher
  4. Activity: Through her Website, Emily raised more than $1,300 for a cure for life-threatening food allergies by selling e-mail singing grams which she recorded.

SOUTH CAROLINA

  1. Baddley, Jonathan
  2. Age: 17*
  3. City: Simpsonville
  4. Activity: Jonathan developed a mentoring program for foster children exposing them to athletics and team sports.
  1. Frederick, Anthony
  2. Age: 11*
  3. City: Columbia
  4. Activity: Inspired by his mother, a breastcancer survivor, Anthony raised $7,000 for breast cancer research through lemonade stands.
  1. Kutz, Danielle
  2. Age: 18*
  3. City: Rock Hill
  4. Activity: Raising more than $50,000, Danielle created Back the Pack which distributes food items to students who have little or nothing to eat during weekends.

TENNESSEE

  1. Cox, Taylor
  2. Age: 18*
  3. City: Brentwood
  4. Activity: Taylor founded a program which raised $52,000 for juvenile rheumatoid Arthritis awareness and arthritis research.
  1. Hensiek, Lily
  2. Age: 7*
  3. City: Franklin
  4. Activity: Diagnosed with leukemia, Lily created Lily's Garden raising more than $2,000 by selling wristbands to help weed out leukemia.
  1. Radzyminski, Kaylee
  2. Age: 17*
  3. City: Cleveland
  4. Activity: Kaylee created Tunes 4 the Troops which sent more than 600,000 CDs and DVDs to soldiers more overseas.
  1. Slape, Charlette
  2. Age: 11*
  3. City: Bartlett
  4. Activity: Charlette collected teddy bears and plush animals and more than $3,000 for the Memphis Children's Advocacy Center.

TEXAS

  1. Destarac, Jean Paul
  2. Age: 17*
  3. City: Tyler
  4. Activity: Jean Paul raised more than $45,000 to pay for cancer treatment for a boy in Guatemala by selling his own music recordings.
  1. Easley, Jack
  2. Age: 11*
  3. City: Omaha
  4. Activity: Jack volunteered for canned food drives, spring cleanup days, recycling and collecting empty ink cartridges to benefit local charities.
  1. Foster, Patrick
  2. Age: 17*
  3. City: Sachse
  4. Activity: Patrick co-founded a nonprofit organization that raised more than $290,000 for military troops.
  1. Hartline, Madeleine
  2. Age: 10*
  3. City: Round Rock
  4. Activity: Madeleine helped create Charity Girls, a student group which donates food, clothes and Christmas gifts to various charities.
  1. Hebert, Zachary
  2. Age: 9*
  3. City: Katy
  4. Activity: Zachary raised money to purchase a wheelchair sunshade for a disabled man by fundraising and recycling aluminum cans.
  1. Joines, Elizabeth
  2. Age: 9*
  3. City: Red Oak
  4. Activity: Elizabeth made horseshoe-shaped pillows for babies with special needs.
  1. Limon, Nicholas
  2. Age: 17*
  3. City: Eagle Pass
  4. Activity: Nicholas led cleanup groups in local lakes, parks and along highways.
  1. Liu, Ellen
  2. Age: 16*
  3. City: Houston
  4. Activity: Ellen volunteered at a summer camp teaching classes and mentoring students in need.
  1. Lynn, Gary
  2. Age: 16*
  3. City: Houston
  4. Activity: Gary created his own foundation which raised more than $12,000 for cerebral palsy research through a golf outing and chili cook-off.
  1. Maust, Andrew
  2. Age: 11*
  3. City: Lewisville
  4. Activity: Andrew raised nearly $20,000 for juvenile diabetes research and awareness.
  1. Walsh, Abigail
  2. Age: 18*
  3. City: Southlake
  4. Activity: Abigail helped raise $40,000 for veterans seriously wounded in military action.

UTAH

  1. Glenn, Devin
  2. Age: 11*
  3. City: Pleasant Grove
  4. Activity: Devin created No More Wars Foundation which provides comfort to children in war-torn countries by sending them stuffed animals and pen-pal letters.
  1. Jencks, Bradley
  2. Age: 18*
  3. City: South Jordan
  4. Activity: Brad dedicated countless hours to help clean up a cemetery with neglected graves of copper miners and their families.
  1. Vance, Nicole
  2. Age: 18*
  3. City: St. George
  4. Activity: Nicole volunteered more than 350 hours at a local hospital and currently volunteers in the Emergency Deptartment.

VIRGINIA

  1. Baldwin, Zipporah
  2. Age: 10*
  3. City: Alexandria
  4. Activity: Zipporah created Angels of Luv which distributes large gift baskets to community members who are sick or homebound.
  1. Kapoor, Sunaina
  2. Age: 17*
  3. City: Great Falls
  4. Activity: Sunaina raised more than $6,000 to send supplies and medical care to diabetes patients in India and others in need.
  1. Martinez, Ciara
  2. Age: 9*
  3. City: Midlothian
  4. Activity: Ciara created a school drive which collected more than 500 stuffed animals and books for children in the Massey Cancer Center.
  1. Yon, Jessica
  2. Age: 17*
  3. City: Virginia Beach
  4. Activity: Jessica led a youth leadership group which volunteered and raised $8,500 for community service projects.

WASHINGTON

  1. Jessup, Dallas
  2. Age: 17*
  3. City: Vancouver
  4. Activity: Dallas created Just Yell Fire which raised nearly $1 million and inspired hundreds of volunteers across 43 countries to create a safety program for teen girls against abduction and sexual assault.
  1. Johnson, Erik
  2. Age: 8*
  3. City: Bellingham
  4. Activity: Inspired by a friend with a brain tumor, Erik raised more than $21,000 to support Seattle Children's Hospital Research Foundation.
  1. Johnson, Megan
  2. Age: 17*
  3. City: Federal Way
  4. Activity: Megan created a program where prison inmates have made more than 9,400 sock hats for the homeless and those in need.

WEST VIRGINIA

  1. Garza, Taylor
  2. Age: 17*
  3. City: Inwood
  4. Activity: Taylor devoted more than 3,000 hours to helping the sick and poor in her community as well as teenage girls battling depression.
  1. Luchuck, Roger
  2. Age: 18*
  3. City: Wallace
  4. Activity: Roger volunteered more than 200 hours to the Wallace Volunteer Fire Department. while raising funding for fire safety equipment.
  1. Turner, Kiana
  2. Age: 11*
  3. City: Westover
  4. Activity: Kiana raised money to purchase socks for the homeless and collected used sports equipment for children in need.

WISCONSIN

  1. Bialek, Matthew
  2. Age: 11*
  3. City: Manitowoc
  4. Activity: Through several fundraising efforts, Matthew raised more than $1,000 for needed equipment for the Manitowoc Fire Deptartment.
  1. Burton, Steven
  2. Age: 17*
  3. City: Janesville
  4. Activity: Steven created The Change Network which raised more than $4,300 for schools, disadvantaged children and created a job bank.
  1. Harmon, Zach
  2. Age: 9*
  3. City: New Berlin
  4. Activity: Zach used his first communion money to purchase 15 boxes of food for a food pantry.
  1. Radke, Sarah
  2. Age: 12*
  3. City: Waukesha
  4. Activity: Sarah organized bake sales and collections which raised more than $1,000 to help foster children and others in need.
  1. Sanchez, David
  2. Age: 17*
  3. City: Racine
  4. Activity: David founded a program to help find jobs and summer employment for homeless high school students.
  1. Scott, David
  2. Age: 17*
  3. City: Shorewood
  4. Activity: David organized Buzz Cuts for Cancer which raised more than $9,000 for cancer research.
  1. Zubke, Davis
  2. Age: 18*
  3. City: Athens
  4. Activity: Davis raised $3,000 and collected more than 8 tons of toys, clothing and supplies to residents of a town in need.

*Winners' ages as of end of nomination period (March 15, 2009).