2011 Ontario Junior Citizen of the Year Awards: Final Recipients

Across Ontario young individuals are working hard to make a difference within their communities and around the world. The youth of today are the leaders of tomorrow and they're proving they have what it take by leaving a lasting impact on their communities and the future. The 12 final recipients of the 2011 Ontario Junior Citizen of the Year Awards are truly an inspiring group of individuals whose stories illustrate initiative, creativity, dedication and leadership evident in the youth today. This group of young individuals are devoting their time and energy to countless causes and community groups, overcoming obstacles and putting others before themselves.

 

This year there were 176 nominees from across Ontario, who are being recognized with certificates by their local community newspapers. Each and every one of these nominees go above and beyond what is expected of someone their age. 

 

The final recipients and their families will be invited to a special presentation in March.

 

The Ontario Junior Citizen of the Year Awards are promoted through the 300+ member newspapers of the Ontario Community Newspapers Association (OCNA) with the support of corporate sponsors TD Bank Group and Direct Energy. Nominations of eligible youth aged six to 17 are received through member community newspapers committed to recognizing the outstanding leaders who are making a difference in their communities. Nominees may be involved in community service; young people who are contributing to their community while living with a physical or psychological limitation; or individuals who have performed acts of heroism or bravery. Candidates are also recognized for being 'good kids' who show a commitment to making life better for others. A panel of judges unanimously agreed on the final award recipients. 

 

Below is a synopsis of the 12 final recipients listed in alphabetical order. 

 

Alysha Dykstra, 7, Guelph
At the age of four, Alysha was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia. In January 2009, Operation Alysha was formed as a social action group to promote and build awareness of the need to donate blood and registration of potential stem cell donors with OneMatch. At such a young age, she has battled her way to remission and consistently hosts blood donor clinics and OneMatch swabbing events to help others with the disease. 

 

Madelaine Frank, 13, Whitby
After hearing about the tragic Oshawa Humane Society's fire in 2008, Madelaine decided she wanted to help raise funds for the major rebuilding effort. She designed and sold fridge magnets at fundraisers, schools and stores. She has produced and sold over 3,000 magnets and over $6,000 has been raised. 

 

Sarah Lewis, 11, Windsor
At the age of seven, Sarah developed a campaign called 'Socks Warm Your Heart'. Her brother at the time was selling candy canes to buy sleeping bags for the homeless as part of a school social justice project. Sarah was inspired after she helped deliver the sleeping bags to a local homeless shelter and met a man who said they could use warm socks. To date she has donated almost 3,000 pairs of socks to the shelter. She will continue to help the homeless until it is history in our community, she says. 

 

Rebecca Marsh, 16, Burlington
It is evident Rebecca's heart is in the right place. She is dedicated to helping her community and active in a diverse range of projects. She helped raise $11,400 towards a sustainable clean water system in Kenya, is co-leader of Tumaini Toronto - a fundraising arm of Free the Children, is a member of her school's Leaders Against Bullying group, and has volunteered at her local hospital for four hours a week since 2009. 

 

Kalem McSween, 17, Toronto
Kalen is a very generous person, inspired by his diverse and urban community to show that anyone can make a difference. He has been an active member of the Catholic Student Leadership Impact Team representing students at the Toronto Catholic School Board for the past year. He is Director of Equity and his goal is to ensure students have a voice and can express their concerns about issues related to mental health wellness, racial and ethnic relations, anti-bullying and anti-homophobia.

 

Stephanie Murchison, 17, Sarnia
Stephanie is a well-rounded individual representing all categories of this award. She is visually impaired, suffers from Anxiety, OCD and Asperger's. Despite overcoming many challenges, she is a hero who is greatly involved in her community. She had the courage to risk a friendship by calling the police when she recognized a friend showed signs of suicide. She continues to volunteer with many organizations including Autism Ontario, Pathways Health Centre for Children and CNIB. 

 

Mackenzie Oliver, 12, Barrie
Makenzie recognizes the importance of self-esteem. She started the I LOVE ME club at her school through which she sells t-shirts and blankets and has raise $25,000 for local charities. The charities she chooses to help primarily focus on the betterment of children, through peer and emotional support. In addition, Mackenzie speaks to different groups about the importance of feeling good about yourself and passing the feeling on to others. She is currently fundraising to go to Kenya. 

 

Breanna Pede, 11, Sarnia
Breanna has a sharp eye and good instincts. She rescued two friends within a week of each other from drowning, all while suffering from a broken leg. In one case the girl was having a seizure and Breanna was able to get her into the proper position and call for help. Since these incidents, she has been proactive and made it her mission to spread the word on the importance of swimming lessons and how to recognize when someone is having an epileptic seizure. 

 

Andrew Sigmaringam, 17, Toronto
Andrew was born deaf and has defeated many obstacles in order to participate and contribute to his community. He has successfully raised $5,000 for Free the Children, assisted children with Autism and continues to present and appear as a guest speaker at numerous different workshops to talk about his personal experiences. He looks past his own needs and works hard to make his community a better place to live. 

 

Stephanie Simmons, 17, London
In 2010, Stephanie spearheaded a campaign for childhood cancer awareness. Her dream is to see a gold ribbon, the symbol of childhood cancer, on a Canadian postage stamp. In 2011, more than 30,000 letters from across the country were collected in support of Stephanie's campaign. Stephanie herself has suffered from three brain tumours. 

 

River Wong, 16, Thornhill
Having to cope with a new learning system after moving to Canada from Hong Kong, River learned to enjoy school and became a caring and patient tutor in grade 7 and 8. In grade 9 River was diagnosed with a dangerous bleeding disorder. Despite difficulties, he is confident, resilient and has a great outlook on life. River has volunteered well over 800 hours within his school and community for his passionate causes, which include raising funds for United Way, the Scarborough Chinese Outreach Committee and World Vision. 

 

Isabelle Wilson, 12, Kincardine
Currently, both of Belle's parents and her brother are battling cancer. Despite difficulties at home, she is still a happy bundle of joy and is very involved within her community. She is a member of the Helping Hands committee at her school, has participated in fundraisers to support her school's Clean Water Project in Kenya and spearheaded a fundraiser for Make a Wish which raised over $1,100.

 

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Our Sponsors

 

Our goal to recognize outstanding young people in communities across Ontario would not be possible without the generous support of our sponsors. Our gratitude to them all. 

 

Primary Sponsors

TD Community Giving: Making a Difference Together

TD invests in communities to make a positive impact where it does business and where our customers, clients and employees live and work. In 2010, TD donated over $50 million to support community organizations in Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom. In Canada, we focus on Education and Financial Literacy, Creating Opportunities for Young People and the Environment.

 

For more information visit www.td.com/corporateresponsibility

 

Direct Energy: Helping Communities Help Each Other

In 2010, Direct Energy committed over $1.4 million in cash, product and service donations to charitable organizations across North America, raising an additional $213,000 for charitable causes through employee-led fundraisers. 

 

Direct Energy believes we have a responsibility to support the communities in which we live and work. By investing our resources, sharing our skills, knowledge and volunteering our time, we believe we can create valuable inter-connections and develop lasting corporate-community partnerships. Our employees found new ways to partner with the non-profit sector to share skills and ideas and strive to make a difference by volunteering over 10,500 hours to initiative in their local communities. 

 

Direct Energy is a member of Volunteer Canada's Corporate Council and supports our employees through a robust array of charitable programs such as Dollars for Doers, Matching Grants and our own Direct Energy Citizen of the Year Award. 

 

For more information, please contact Emily Richardson, 416-758-8979, emily.richardson@directenergy.com or visit our website at www.directenergy.com

 

Patron Sponsors
James Publishing Company
McLaren Press Graphics Ltd.
Performance Printing
Temiskaming Printing Co.

 

For more information on the Junior Citizen Awards please contact Kelly Gorven, Jr. Citizen Coordinator, 905-639-8720 ext. 239, jr.citizen@ocna.org