Fenelon Falls Youth Council wins BGC Leadership Award
Lindsay: More than 100 people from Kawartha Lakes gathered to celebrate youth at the 6th annual Kawartha Lakes Youth Awards, where they learned about the wide-ranging accomplishments and volunteer commitments of almost 30 young people.
“Speaking on behalf of our 20 judges, we’re always impressed by the quality of the nominees, and their stories of perseverance, community commitment and dedication to their pursuits, no matter what those are,” says Amy Terrill, Executive Director. “From 37 nominees, our judges were able to narrow down the field to 27 finalists and ultimately, 17 amazing winners. Thank you to all of those who took the time to shine the spotlight on one of these youth.”
The youth awards celebrate young people ages 12 – 24 for their achievements in eight categories. The returning categories from previous years were: Arts Achievement, BGC Club Spirit (which requires previous or current BGC Kawarthas involvement), Humanitarian, Leadership and Resiliency, with the Physical Literacy category’s name changed to Health & Wellness Champion. Two new categories were Outstanding Worker and S.T.E.M.
The event also bestows the Ron Kennedy Scholarship and the Marcie Beall Scholarship. Ron Kennedy was the founder of Kawartha Youth Inc. which eventually became BGC Kawarthas and Marcie Beall was a former BGC Kawarthas employee.
Congratulations to the Fenelon Falls Youth Council on winning the Leadership Award. The Council is made up of four members, some of which are familiar faces; Avalon Loube, Sofia Entzin-Telford, Cooper Young and Ella Austin Scollick.
L to R: Avalon Loube, Sofia Entzin-Telford, Jack Polito (representative from Polito Ford Lincoln, there to give the award), Ella Austin Scollick and Cooper Young
These four have worked tirelessly to bring a new youth program to Fenelon Falls, demonstrating incredible dedication. They met monthly to collaborate on ideas and strategies for creating meaningful opportunities for Fenelon Falls Youth. They contributed numerous volunteer hours, attending meetings with both the Fenelon Falls Co-Op Committee and BGC employees, visiting proposed sites, and exploring program options.
They also actively contribute to the Grove Theatre, the Fenelon Falls Museum, their school council and many other initiatives. Even parents picking up their younger children have expressed admiration for these youth.
They got a letter of recommendation from Jim Armstrong. He said their participation with the Fenelon Falls Committee was not only helpful but boosted community support.
Individually, Avalon and Sofia sit on the Social Justice Club at Fenelon Falls Secondary School. They have put together several events and campaigns at the school such as organizing orang shirt day initiatives. Cooper and Ella were both leaders on the REACH team. Cooper and Sofia both hold leadership roles on the student union and have contributed greatly to the school and student experience. They lead meetings, delegate jobs, but never hesitate to jump in and do hard things or support others. They are well respected by their peers and always ensure students have a voice. Ella cares so much about our community, she is a frequent fixture at the museum and has been a leader in many ways.
