Holmdel Student Awarded For Work In Local Nursing Homes

HOLMDEL, NJ – One Holmdel student was recently recognized for his positive efforts within the community with a TD Bank Young Heroes award. Bill Zhang, a 16-year-old student at Holmdel High School, will be recognized at a virtual awards ceremony on Sept. 12 for his impact on the community.

The annual TD Bank Young Heroes Awards, now in its 20th year, recognizes 14 school-age finalists who have engaged in civic activities, promoted conflict resolution, advocated for diversity or demonstrated leadership. All winners are featured at the National Liberty Museum with their stories featured in the museum’s Young Heroes Exhibition for one year.

Zhang is the founder of DementiAid, a youth outreach project aimed at combating social isolation in nursing homes. According to a release, the initiative has allowed 150 students across 13 schools in New Jersey to complete over 600 hours of community service, according to The Journal NJ.

One of DementiAid’s projects is Music4Memories, in which students can donate MP3 players with playlists of seniors’ most-loved tunes. Zhang has also raised and distributed over 1,500 PPE products to a local nursing home during the coronavirus pandemic.

Nominations for the Young Heroes Awards are submitted by friends, teachers and community members. Finalists were chosen from a pool of candidates hailing from 11 states. Each award-winning student project focused on aiding vulnerable and underserved populations, with many winners (such as Zhang) aiming to empower community members through technology.

Next month’s virtual ceremony will begin at 1:30 p.m., with winners slated to receive a medal and certificate to commemorate the honor. One awardee will be surprised during the ceremony with the honor of being named the President’s Honor Winner and will receive a $2,000 scholarship.

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