3/2/2012 10:38:58 AM

Madi McKeone Recognized for Volunteer Service

Andrea Nisley, Extension Educator

Madi McKeone of Lexington has been honored for her exemplary volunteer service with a President’s Volunteer Service Award.

The award, which recognizes Americans of all ages who have volunteered significant amounts of their time to serve their communities and their country, was presented by The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program on behalf of President Barack Obama. McKeone participated in the Spirit of Community program this year as a representative of the 4-H program.

McKeone earned her award by organizing members of the Horseshoe Bend 4-H Club into a team for the 2011 American Cancer Society Relay For Life of Dawson County. She and her sister, Mackenzie, served as co-captains for the team.

This service project was part of Madi’s Junior Leader 4-H project. She and other 4-H club members organized a “Flower Power” sale and a garage sale to raise money to help fund ACS programs and cancer research. McKeone also designed a t-shirt incorporating 4-H and cancer awareness. Team members sold the t-shirts during the county fair as another fundraiser for Relay For Life. During the Relay event, McKeone recruited and organized her softball team members to help display luminarias around the track.

McKeone’s inspiration for being part of the Dawson County Relay For Life stems back to people she knows who have been affected by cancer, including a former 4-H club member who is a cancer survivor and her Aunt Cindy who died of complications from cancer in October 2010.

“I’m aware of large organizations that contribute millions of dollars to cancer research, but so many times we concentrate on the national level and overlook what we can do locally,” McKeone said. “By involving members of my 4-H club, I am planting a seed locally that I can only hope will grow for each member in future years.”
Sponsored by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program recognizes young people across America for outstanding community service activities. More than 345,000 young people across America have been considered for these awards since the program began in 1995.

“The recipients of these awards vividly demonstrate that young people across America are making remarkable contributions to the health and vitality of their communities,” said John R. Strangfeld, chairman and CEO of Prudential Financial. “In recognizing these students and placing a spotlight on their volunteer service activities, we hope to motivate others to consider how they can also contribute to their community.”

“Demonstrating civic responsibility through community volunteerism is an important part of life,” said NASSP Executive Director JoAnn Bartoletti. “These honorees practice a lesson we hope all young people, as well as adults, will emulate.”