POBJFKHS Student Honored by the Royal Family

Plainview-Old Bethpage John F. Kennedy High School junior Hailey Richman has been honored with the Diana Legacy Award by the British royal family for her exceptional nonprofit work. One of only 20 individuals worldwide and one of merely three from the United States, Hailey’s recognition was a testament to her dedication to the community. The award was created in memory of the late Princess of Wales and presented in London by Princess Diana’s two sons, Prince William and Harry.

Hailey was selected as a recipient for the Diana Legacy Award for her work founding and managing the nonprofit KidCaregivers, which aims to support child caregivers of loved ones suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. Her initiatives include the creation of an online support group for children to connect and share their experiences and orchestration of puzzle-solving sessions which pair experienced volunteers with people suffering from Alzheimer’s. With a team of more than 2,000 student volunteers worldwide, Hailey has managed to distribute more than 136,000 jigsaw puzzles to over 5,000 care homes, reaching more than 500,000 people with Alzheimer’s. She has also raised over $60,000 for research into the disease.

The Diana Legacy Award is issued every other year by the Diana Award charity organization, which seeks to identify young people aged 9 to 25 engaged in humanitarian work. The organization’s overall mission is to empower young people seeking to change the world.

“Hailey has put a tremendous amount of effort into her nonprofit work for a cause that is clearly dear to her heart,” said Plainview-Old Bethpage John F. Kennedy High School Principal Dr. Heather Dvorak. “This special and extremely rare award is recognition of just how much of an impact she has made. She has made both our high school and broader Plainview-Old Bethpage community proud. Congratulations Hailey!”

For more information about the Plainview-Old Bethpage Central School District, please visit the District’s website at www.pobschools.org. Exciting activities happening throughout the District and programs celebrating student achievement can also be found on the District’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pobschools/.