City Times Staff

WISCONSIN RAPIDS — Lincoln High School has named Curtis Price and Riley Kubisiak, both grade 12 of Wisconsin Rapids, as its top youth volunteers of the year.

The honor was granted as part of the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, a nationwide youth volunteer recognition program sponsored by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals.

By selecting Curtis and Riley as its top youth volunteers, Lincoln High School has advanced their applications for state-level judging in the 2018 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program.  Prudential will announce Wisconsin’s top youth volunteers of the year on February 6, 2018.  

Curtis has spent approximately 40 hours on his service activity which was working with a migrant outreach program from LaClinica, a community health center and migrant health clinic, in Wautoma.  He used his Spanish skills to help patients complete forms and distributed free clothing that he had collected.

Riley has spent approximately 300 hours on her service activity as a Junior Counselor at Camp Luther for two weeks of a summer.  Riley served as a mentor and was involved in many activities with kids.

Lincoln High School also recognized Tabitha Hoyt, grade 11 of Rudolph, WI for her exemplary volunteer service with Prudential Spirit of Community Certificates of Merit.  

Tabitha has spent approximately 300 hours on her service activity which is a mix of different volunteer positions through her church.  She has worked with age groups ranging from 2 years old to 18 doing everything from bathroom monitoring to office management to leading the lesson times.  

“Many of our students have made the difference in the lives of others by volunteering at different events and activities,” said Lincoln High School Principal Ronald Rasmussen. “We applaud all our students that have given of their time to give back to our community.”    

As a local honorees, Curtis Price and Riley Kubisiak are now in the running to be named one of two Prudential Spirit of Community State Honorees for Wisconsin.  State Honorees receive a $1,000 award and an all-expense-paid trip with a parent or guardian to Washington, D.C., for several days of special recognition events.  Other state-level honorees will receive bronze medallions or Certificates of Excellence.

During the national recognition events in Washington, America’s top youth volunteers of the year will be named by a distinguished selection committee.  Each of these National Honorees will receive an additional $5,000, a crystal trophy for his or her school or organization, and a $5,000 Prudential Foundation grant for a nonprofit charitable organization of their choice.

“Young people who contribute their time and talents to their communities are role models for all of us,” said Prudential Chairman and CEO John Strangfeld.  “We salute their dedication, their achievements, and their spirit of community.”

“Demonstrating civic responsibility through community volunteerism is an important part of life,” said NASSP Executive Director JoAnn Bartoletti.  “These Honorees practice a lesson we hope all young people, as well as adults, will emulate.

The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards represents America’s largest youth recognition program based exclusively on volunteer service.  Since 1995, the program has honored more than 120,000 youth volunteers at the local, state and national level.  Learn more at spirit.prudential.com or nassp.org/