Haddonfield Memorial High School seniors Lauren Beckett and Thomas Kenny have received the William Hansen Youth of the Year.
Haddonfield Memorial High School seniors Lauren Beckett and Thomas Kenny have received the William Hansen Youth of the Year. Beckett was nominated by teacher and Haddonfield LEO’s supervisor, Margaret Gammie, and Kenny was nominated by neighbor and family friend, Mary Previte.
The new award, that will be given annually by the Lions, honors volunteer service and is named for William Hansen, age 100, who has been a Lion for more than 50 years. The pair received their awards at an April 20 Lions Club Meeting at Tavistock Country Club.
“Both these young people, along with another group of students who the Lions honored with certificates of recognition for service work showed exemplary commitment to volunteer service and great care and compassion for their school and community,” said Dr. Larry Ragone, head of the Lions Membership Committee. “Each one gave of their time to help so many people from other students, to neighbors, to the poor, to babies hospitalized in Camden. It was a remarkable group of young people.”
Beckett is secretary of the LEO Club and president of the Interact Club. Among her activities, she volunteers at an animal shelter, the Philadelphia Zoo, is a peer leader and peer tutor and started a project for Cooper Hospital called “Knitting for the NICU.”
Kenny is present of the LEO Club and has worked with both seniors and children in his service work. Previte said he shovels her walk during snowstorms without being asked and will not accept a dime for it. He is active in the neighborhood with activities on Roberts Avenue and volunteers more than eight hours a week at the Haddonfield Fire Department.
Other students recognized for exceptional service who will receive certificates from the Lions Club are: Emily Dombrowski, Luke Soumilas, Sedona Ryan, Sam Goetz, Annie Lynch, Jimmy Peterman, Chloe Fontaine, Mara Greenberg, David Doyle, Julia Chin, Ryan Colflesh, Abigail Lynn Metzler and Mitchell Rothstein.
