Eli Manning Honors Weston Student For Fundraiser

The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards honored Connecticut's top two youth volunteers of 2012 last week during its 17th annual State Awards Ceremony in Washington, D.C.

Sanam Rastegar, 17, of , was honored for initiating an annual jump-roping fundraiser at her school that has generated more than $100,000 for Paul Newman’s Hole in the Wall Gang Camp for children with serious diseases.

Patrick Briscoe, 14, of Newtown, was honored for conducting a penny collection drive that raised more than $1,200 to purchase two cobblestones and a granite paver on behalf of his town at the National 9/11 Memorial in New York City.

As State Honorees, Rastegar and Briscoe were among 102 top youth volunteers from across the country who received $1,000, engraved silver medallions, and all-expense-paid trips to Washington, D.C., this week for four days of recognition events. At last night’s ceremony, they were each personally congratulated for their outstanding volunteer service by New York Giants quarterback and 2012 Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning.