Outstanding community service by seven middle and high school students was recognized on May 23 by the Miami-Dade County Youth Fair & Exposition.
“Community service is fundamental to the Youth Fair’s culture, and it’s humbling to see how committed the young people in our community are to helping and improving the lives of others. It’s an honor to be able to reward them for their service,” said Robert Hohenstein, Youth Fair president and CEO.
Two of the students, Madison Amador from Leewood K-8 Center, and Shawn Kouri from Hialeah High School, were selected to receive the Walter B. Arnold Jr. Youth Hall of Fame Community Service Award. The Youth Fair awarded $1,000 to each of them.
The five other finalists were Arthur Codrington of John F. Kennedy Middle School, Raymond Hung of Lawton Chiles Middle School, Isabel Yip of George Washington Carver Middle School, Edward Leonard of New World School of the Arts, and Hope Morales of Palmer Trinity School.
Each of the seven students received a $100 check at the dinner ceremony at the Fairgrounds attended by family, school administrators, Miami-Dade County Public School region administrators and Youth Fair board members.
The Youth Hall of Fame Community Service Award was created in 2001 in honor of the man who had the vision to take a small 4-H Fair and turn it into one of the most respected fairs in the United States. The late Walter B. Arnold Jr. (1914-2000) had a 41-year history of selflessly leading the Youth Fair, including as general manager and president. He believed in young people and their potential and wanted to help them achieve their dreams. He created the exhibits category that allows students from across the county to showcase their achievements. In fact, with 63,000 student exhibits, The Youth Fair is home to the largest student exhibits in the USA.
The Miami-Dade County Youth Fair & Exposition (Youth Fair) is the largest charity event in South Florida. The not-for-profit association is dedicated to promoting education and agriculture while showcasing and rewarding youth achievement and providing quality family entertainment, all without taxpayer dollars.
The annual Youth Fair exhibits more than 63,000 student projects to nearly 600,000 Youth Fair guests and, in 2016, awarded more than $460,000 in college scholarships, cash premiums and awards to students. To date, The Youth Fair has presented well over $11 million to the Miami-Dade community.
For more information visit fairexpo.com or call 305-223-7060.
