New Jersey's Top Two Youth Volunteers Selected in 11th Annual National Awards Program; Parsippany and Paramus Students Earn $1,000 Awards, Engraved Medallions and Trip to Nation's Capital; Honors Also Bestowed on Other Top Youth Volunteers in New Jersey.

TRENTON, N.J. -- Michael Pesci, 16, of Parsippany and Jessica Diamond, 12, of Paramus today were named New Jersey's top two youth volunteers for 2006 by The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, a nationwide program honoring young people for outstanding acts of volunteerism. The awards program, now in its 11th year, is conducted by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP).

Michael was nominated by DePaul Catholic High School in Wayne, and Jessica was nominated by West Brook Middle School in Paramus. As State Honorees, 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 - one middle level and one high school youth - 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 2006 at that time.

Michael, a sophomore at DePaul Catholic High School, organized an annual "home run derby" that has raised more than $75,000 over the past four years for disabled and disadvantaged individuals. Michael's project began shortly after he volunteered to help out with a baseball game for special-needs kids. "Their attitude and passion to play baseball, even though they were handicapped, was very inspiring," he said. Searching for a way to support these young athletes, he decided to hold a home-run hitting contest similar to one at a baseball camp he'd attended.

After Michael and a friend developed an action plan, they formed a nonprofit corporation, figured out how their derby would work, and began publicizing the event through a Web site (www.perfectpitchhrd.com) and speaking engagements. At the event, both kids and adults made donations for the opportunity to swing at seven pitches and win trophies for the longest hits. During the four years that the "Perfect Pitch" Home Run Derby has been held, Michael also has raised money by soliciting donations from corporations and holding raffles for sports memorabilia donated by former New York Yankees Don Larsen, Yogi Berra and David Cone. The money raised so far has been used primarily to buy equipment for a local sports league for disabled kids, to finance trips for a Boy Scout troop of physically and mentally handicapped adults, and support sports programs for inner-city children.

Jessica, a seventh-grader at West Brook Middle School, started a community service club at her school that has attracted 140 student members, raised more than $10,000 for a variety of causes, and taken part in numerous other volunteer activities. "As the daughter of a very active Rotary Club member, I have seen first-hand the impact that people working together can make," Jessica said. "I thought about how great it would be to have a service organization like that at my school." In pursuit of that vision, Jessica wrote a proposal to form a React Club affiliated with the local Rotary Club, and presented it to school officials. Once approved, Jessica began recruiting members, leading meetings and brainstorming club activities.

During its first year, the club raised more than $2,400 and prepared more than 100 backpacks full of school supplies for victims of Hurricane Katrina, collected $1,300 for victims of the Asian tsunami, and organized a book drive for disadvantaged children and senior citizens. Club members also visited local health care facilities, baked bread for a soup kitchen, read to children at an inner-city preschool, and raised $6,000 to provide life-saving heart surgery for an Ecuadorian child. "A dream of mine would be to see every middle school in the United States have a dynamic club just like ours," Jessica said, "and that every middle school student would know what it feels like to make a difference in the life of another person."

In addition, the program judges recognized six other New Jersey students as Distinguished Finalists for their impressive community service activities. Each will receive an engraved bronze medallion:

Michael Bachmann, 15, of Highland Park, a sophomore at Highland Park High School, created an educational program designed to teach elementary-school students about the human body, medicine and career opportunities in the medical field. With help from a community library and the Robert Wood Johnson Hospital volunteer office and medical school, Michael created materials, developed presentations, designed flyers and T-shirts, and recruited medical-school students as speakers for a series of classes on medical topics.

Josephine Droney, 15, of Linwood, a freshman at Mainland Regional High School, raises funds and collects needed items for children's charities by holding community service parties on her birthday. Each year, Josephine selects a charity, asks it for a wish list, and then invites guests to come to her party with items from the wish list instead of gifts for her. Josephine's parties have brought in more than $20,000 over the past seven years.

Daniel Feldman, 15, of Linwood, a member of the Atlantic County 4-H in Mays Landing and a freshman at Mainland Regional High School, raised $7,000 to feed hungry children by organizing a community bake sale and selling baking books and anti-hunger pins. Daniel also volunteered at a local food bank, participated in hunger walks and took part in food collection drives.

Madison Pomerantz, 12, of Franklin Lakes, a seventh-grader at Franklin Avenue Middle School, organized a teen volunteer effort to record books on audio-tape for disabled students. After speaking to library officials, Madison recruited 70 volunteer readers, purchased tapes and other materials, coordinated the recording process, and delivered the finished tapes to the library at the Bleshman School in Paramus, N.J.

Christine Ring, 16, of Summit, a junior at Kent Place School, organized a donation drive to collect personal care items and entertainment materials for female soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. After researching the needs of female soldiers and developing a wish list, Christine solicited donations from individuals, local and national corporations, churches and other community groups; created and distributed community collection boxes; advertised her campaign; and then recruited more than 50 volunteers to help her collect, sort, pack and ship the donated items in 500 "Freedom Boxes" to servicewoman overseas.

Qinyun Wang, 18, of East Brunswick, a senior at East Brunswick High School, organized a "Chain of Life" fund-raiser that collected $6,300 to purchase food, water, clothing and medicine for victims of the 2005 hurricane and tsunami disasters. During the fund-raising campaign, every donor signed a strip of construction paper, which Qinyun used to make a 6,500-link paper chain that is now displayed in the lobby of the Catholic Charities USA Hospital.

"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 Art Ryan, chairman and CEO of Prudential Financial. "They truly deserve all of the praise and encouragement we can give them."

"The young people recognized by the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards demonstrate an enormous capacity for giving and reaching out to those in need," said Gerald N. Tirozzi, executive director of the National Association of Secondary School Principals. "NASSP is proud to honor them as they are wonderful examples of the high caliber of young people in our nation's schools today."

All public and private middle level and high schools in the country, as well as all Girl Scout councils, county 4-H organizations, American Red Cross chapters, YMCAs and Volunteer Centers, were eligible to select a student or member for a local Prudential Spirit of Community Award this past November. Nearly 8,000 Local Honorees were then reviewed by state-level judges, who selected State Honorees and Distinguished Finalists based on criteria such as personal initiative, creativity, effort, impact and personal growth.

While in Washington, D.C., the 102 State Honorees will tour the capital's landmarks, attend a gala awards ceremony at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, and visit their congressional representatives on Capitol Hill. In addition, 10 of them - five middle level and five high school students - will be named National Honorees on May 8 by a prestigious national selection committee. These honorees will receive additional $5,000 awards, gold medallions, crystal trophies, and $5,000 grants from The Prudential Foundation for nonprofit, charitable organizations of their choice.

U.S. Senators Tim Johnson of South Dakota and Saxby Chambliss of Georgia will serve as co-chairs of the national selection committee. Also serving on the committee will be Ryan of Prudential; actor Richard Dreyfuss; Alma Powell, chair of America's Promise - The Alliance for Youth; Robert Goodwin, President and CEO of the Points of Light Foundation; Amy B. Cohen, Director of Learn and Serve America at the Corporation for National and Community Service; Kathy Cloninger, CEO of Girl Scouts of the USA; Donald T. Floyd Jr., President and CEO of National 4-H Council; Ken Gladish, National Executive Director of YMCA of the USA; David Vodila, President of NASSP; and two 2005 Prudential Spirit of Community National Honorees: Devin Cohen of Briarcliff Manor, N.Y., and Lindsey Williams of St. Joseph, Mo.

In addition to granting its own awards, The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program will be distributing President's Volunteer Service Awards to nearly 4,200 of its Local Honorees this year on behalf of the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation. The President's Volunteer Service Award recognizes Americans of all ages who have volunteered significant amounts of their time to serve their communities and their country.

The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program is supported by National 4-H Council, Girl Scouts of the USA, American Red Cross, YMCA of the USA, Points of Light Foundation, American Association of School Administrators, National Middle School Association, National School Boards Association, Council of the Great City Schools, National School Public Relations Association, and many other national youth and service organizations.

The awards are part of a broad initiative created by Prudential to encourage young people to become involved in community service. Other elements of the initiative include a community leadership training program for high school students, now administered by the Points of Light Foundation; and a variety of educational materials for young people and teachers relating to youth volunteerism.

For information on all of this year's Prudential Spirit of Community State Honorees and Distinguished Finalists, visit www.prudential.com/spirit , or www.principals.org/prudential.

NASSP - the preeminent organization and the national voice for middle level and high school principals, assistant principals and aspiring school leaders - provides its members the professional resources to serve as visionary leaders. NASSP promotes the intellectual growth, academic achievement, character development, leadership development, and physical well-being of youth through its programs and student leadership services. NASSP administers the National Honor Society(TM), National Junior Honor Society(TM), and National Association of Student Councils(TM).

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