Madison Teens Cited for Being 'Local Heroes'

Submitted and written by Kristin Sandler who is MADE’s Assistant Coalition Coordinator

Unsurprisingly, MADE is receiving many outstanding nominations for our Heroes are MADE in Madison initiative.

Our community is certainly full of ordinary people doing extraordinary things, including our November heroes: the teen volunteers from Smiles for Smilow. At our MADE meeting this month, the winners were selected from a pool of nominees for their dedication and courage.

Smiles for Smilow was founded by student Lexi Minutillo at DHHS just one year ago, in October of 2014. In that short time, the student-led group has donated over $8,000 in gifts and gift cards to teen patients at Yale’s Smilow Cancer Hospital.

To provide these packages to teens during their treatment, the club organized and volunteered at fundraisers and spent Saturdays shopping for meaningful gifts.

The group is led by students Alexandra Minutillo (President), Brittney Miller and Brooke Kuryan (Co-Vice Presidents), Marisa Padelli (Treasurer), Abby Valentin and Holly Edwards (Co-Secretaries), Rebecca Barnikow (Public Relations), Erin Barrett, Josie Anderson, Sophia Owen, Dan Schurk, Paulee Fogelman, Ashlinn Virgulto, Colleen Atwater, Kailey Miller, Sydney Herwig, Michael Morro, Trey Meyer, Shannon McCabe, Skyler Silva, and Emily Higgins.

The group was nominated by Jeri Minutillo who said, “These local teens are true heroes. They have donated their time and efforts…in the heat and freezing cold…and continue to do so on a regular basis.”

Madison is lucky to have a bright future in students like these!

If you would like to nominate a hero, send an email to M.A.D.E.’s coordinator Catherine Barden at bardenc@madisonct.org with your name, the name of the person you’re nominating, and a short description of what makes him or her a hero.

All nominees will be featured on MADE’s website (madeinmadison.org) and monthly winners will receive a special hero-worthy prize. MADE is accepting nominations throughout the 2015-2016 school year!

This initiative is organized by MADE. in Madison. MADE. is a diverse coalition of community members striving to promote positive youth development. Our focus is to foster a community that values its youth and promotes healthy decisions.

We invite all members of the community to join us in actively building and enhancing relationships, experiences, values and attitudes that young people need for future success and good health. Visit the Pitch In page on our website to find out how you can become more involved!