Winners of the 2017 Braintree Community Inclusion Award Announced

From the Community Inclusion Awards Committee:

BRAINTREE, MA — Last week, the Community Inclusion Awards Committee announced the winners of the 2017 Braintree Community Inclusion Award. The following members of the community will receive the award:

• Braintree Community Youth Center – Braintree Rotary Club founded the BCYC ten years ago with the intent of providing a safe, fun, and supervised environment for the youth of Braintree. The BCYC is an outstanding example of “inclusion” in action!
• Susan Frazier – Sue Frazier’s is one of the first faces everyone who enters Braintree High School sees. She is an enthusiastic and natural “includer” of all young people she encounters in many ways in the Braintree Schools and the community!
• Coach Adam Ringius and his assistant coaches Nick Faoro, David Ringius, Sr., Christos Papioannou, John Swirbalus and their team, Chris Anderson, Evan Anderson, Chris Faoro, Ned Fitzgerald, Patrick Grehan, Michael Mackay, Brendan Mcgonigle, Sokrat Pango, Foti Papaioannou, Adam Ringius, Jr. (A.J.) and Jack Swirlbaus – This 2nd grade boys soccer team and their coaches are a shining example of what it means to include everyone and enjoy the sport as a team!
• Abigail “Abba” Yaney – Abba is an extraordinary senior at Braintree High School who has reinvented how the BHS yearbook is created to ensure all students are represented and is a wonderful student leader and role model for inclusion!

Mayor Joseph C. Sullivan will be hosting the 9th Annual Braintree Community Inclusion Awards on May 25 at 6:30 p.m. to honor members of our community that have furthered the ideals of inclusion. Inclusion means that all children and youth are given equal opportunity to participate in the community. More specifically, children and youth with special needs are participating alongside their typical peers.

Each year, this event is inspiring and uplifting as we hear stories about the special members of the community that we honor. It is a wonderful way to share the meaning of inclusion and how it’s done in Braintree!

Each year, the committee receives so many wonderful nominations and although we are enlightened and moved by the many ways inclusion is working in our community, we sadly cannot recognize every single one. The committee encourages those who have submitted nominations that may have not been chosen to consider nominating a deserving member of our community again next year.