WHS Junior Honored as Top State Youth Volunteer

Information courtesy of The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards.

Rebecca Ackerman, 16, of Westborough and Grace Kirrane, 12, of Fitchburg today were named Massachusetts' top two youth volunteers for 2012 by The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, a nationwide program honoring young people for outstanding acts of volunteerism.

Rebecca was nominated by Principal John Smith and Grace was nominated by Memorial Middle School in Fitchburg. The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards is conducted annually by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP).

Rebecca, a junior at Westborough High School, leads a fundraising team that has generated more than $80,000 for autism research over the past six years and works in a variety of other capacities to raise awareness of autism.

“My twin brother has never spoken to me, or given me a hug,” said Rebecca. “Even when he stands right beside me, he’s in a different world. David has autism.”

When she was 11, Rebecca realized that, even though one in every 110 children has this disorder, most people were not familiar with autism and not much money was being spent on research. “I was determined to change that reality,” she said.

She organized a team of friends and family members to participate in an annual fundraising walk for Autism Speaks, a national organization, and to work on autism funding and awareness projects throughout the year. As captain of the Doing It For Dave team, she writes letters asking for donations, conducts bake sales and yard sales, operates lemonade stands and coordinates car washes.

Rebecca, who also serves on the Boston Autism Speaks Committee, helps coordinate the organization’s annual city-wide walk, gives inspirational speeches, leads webinars and mentors new walk teams. In addition, she started a charitable organization, “Cake Cause,” that provides baked goods in exchange for donations.

“I wish that my brother had his own voice,” she said. “Since he cannot talk, I will do my best to honor him using mine.”

Grace, a sixth-grader at Memorial Middle School, made 57 fleece blankets for the Fitchburg Fire and Police departments to give to children rescued in emergency situations.

Grace first had to learn how to sew and knit, and then she raised money for materials by holding a candy sale at her school, and selling candy and baked goods at softball games. After purchasing 150 yards of bright, colorful fabric, she measured, cut and hand-knotted the material into 57 double-layered fleece blankets that she calls “Warm Hugs.” She packed the blankets into Ziploc bags and large storage containers and delivered them to the fire and police departments.

“When a child is taken out of a home because of a fire or abuse, they don’t have anything of their own to comfort them,” said Grace. “My hope is that my blankets will help them to feel safe.”

As State Honorees, Rebecca and Grace each will receive $1,000, an engraved silver medallion, and an all-expense-paid trip in early May to Washington, D.C., where they will join the top two honorees from each of the other states and the District of Columbia for several days of national recognition events. Ten of them will be named America’s top youth volunteers for 2012 at that time.

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