Local Youth Honored at Banquet

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Thirty-three area youth were honored recently for their outstanding community service at the RAYA 38th Annual Youth Recognition banquet held at Rivercrest Banquet facility.  The event was also sponsored by the Rochester Area Optimist Club.

The honorees ranged from second grade to high school seniors from all of the area’s schools.  Some of the projects the kids were involved with include organizing fall yard clean ups for senior citizens, tutoring elementary school children, to helping a church soup kitchen.

A special $500 scholarship was awarded to Megan D’Arcy from the Judy Coats Memorial fund, as Judy was active in the Rochester Youth Assistance from 1991-2009.  when she lost her father in a plane crash in 2006.  She wrote a children’s book Be Happy and is donating the proceeds to a foundation that supports children who have lost a parent.

All of the adults in attendance were inspired by the wide variety of community service projects the children were involved with.

The annual program is a part of six services Rochester Area Youth Assistance provides our community.   Other activities include Counseling services, Family Education programs, Financial assistance for children programs, Camp Safari and Mentoring programs. 

Here are the honorees:
Mary Bellinger – Notre Dame Prep
Colin Berta – Rochester High
Alexa Cannon – Notre Dame Prep
Shannon Clark – Notre Dame Prep
Ujjwal Chande – Rochester High
Megan D’Arcy – Stoney Creek High school
Marisa Di Ponio – Notre Dame Prep
Ian Flowers – West Middle School
Nathan Hamood- Rochester Adams
Sara Harwood – West Middle Scool
Emily Hayward – Rochester High School
Ava Healy- Notre Dame Prep
Helen Huetteman – Rochester High
Carly Hunter – Rochester Adams
Tina Ip – Rochester High School
Tatiana Kerwin – Stoney Creek High School
Nick La Fave – Stoney Creek High School
Heather Mac Quarrie – Rochester High School
Angela Grace Munanco – Notre Dame Prep
Nivedita Nagaraj – International Academy
David Pagnucco – Notre Dame Prep
John Peleman – Notre Dame Prep
Andrew Powers – Stoney Creek High School
Ananth Ramaseshani – Rochester High
Gabriella Robles – Rochester High School
Matthew Siatczynski – Notre Dame Prep
James Stanton – Rochester Adams High School
Aaron Stephens – Rochester Adams
Emma  Uhler – North Hills Elementary
Alexander Verwilst – Notre Dame Prep
Nicholas Watson – Notre Dame Prep
Naomi Yamaguchi – Eagle Creek Academy
Shirely Zhou – Rochester High School