A Butler County eighth grader has been named one of the state’s top youth volunteers.
Corbin Edge- a student at Seneca Valley’s Ryan Gloyer Middle School- was of two students recognized by The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, which is a nationwide program honoring young people for outstanding acts of volunteerism.
As a state honoree, Edge will receive $1,000; an engraved medallion; and an all-expense-paid trip in early May to Washington, D.C. where he will join honorees from each of the other states. During the trip, 10 students will be named America’s top youth volunteers for 2019.
Edge, 15, raised more than $10,000 for diabetes patients and research last fall by assembling and raffling off 75 gift baskets at Evans City’s Oktoberfest celebration. Edge has been living with Type 1 diabetes since he was a toddler.
“Being so young, I didn’t realize what was going on or how things were going to change for me,” Corbin said. “I learned as I got older how it has affected my life, and I didn’t want other children to have to go through what I have.”
After attending a camp for young diabetics, Corbin was inspired to raise money for the cause. He started out small, forming a team for a diabetes walk and just asking family and friends for donations.
“That was successful for a while,” he said, “but I wanted to go bigger.”
After attending an event at his school and seeing how eager people were to buy raffle tickets for a chance to win a gift basket, Corbin decided to organize an “American Diabetes Basket Raffle” in his community. He drafted a letter about himself and his struggles with diabetes and took it to local businesses to solicit donations.
The response was “overwhelming,” he said.
Once he had collected or purchased items for his raffle, his family helped him organize them into 75 themed baskets. He set up tables to display the baskets and sell tickets, and two days later, he announced the winners, distributed the baskets, and counted his proceeds.
“I had set the goal at $10,000,” said Corbin, “and when I reached that number, I screamed in excitement!”
The money will be used to send young diabetics to a diabetes camp, and to pay for research into a cure, which is what Corbin wants most.
“A life of no more shots or finger pricks,” he said.
The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards represents the United States’ largest youth recognition program based solely on volunteer service.
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 affiliates of Points of Light’s HandsOn Network, were eligible to select a student or member for a local Prudential Spirit of Community Award.
These local honorees were then reviewed by an independent judging panel, which selected State Honorees and Distinguished Finalists based on criteria including personal initiative, effort, impact and personal growth.
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