Spirit of Community Awards finalist
ARIADNA Gómez-Kelly from Westport has been recognised for the exemplary volunteer work carried out in her local community as Pramerica announced its 20 finalists for the 2018 Spirit of Community Awards, the only all-Ireland youth initiative of its kind.
A fourth-year student at the Sacred Heart School, Ariadna is chairperson of Westport Junior Tidy Towns, which aims to keep the town clean, sustainable and a pleasant environment to live in.
Passionate about preserving our planet, Ariadna hosted and presented at the national Tidy Towns conference wearing an outfit she made entirely out of rubbish. Ariadna was also instrumental in organising the Covey Street Carnival with live music, fresh food and entertainment.
Ariadna has also been elected as chairperson of the Sacred Heart School, Westport Green Schools committee and won first prize with Goodwall for her contribution to fundraising.
She was awarded Most Inspirational Person for her participation in ‘Operation Transportation run by Westport Smarter Travel. Showing her commitment to saving the planet, Ariadna cycles to school each day rather than taking the car.
Ariadna’s principal at the Sacred Heart School in Westport commented: “Ariadna epitomises the genuine volunteer spirit and is a shining example of active participation and contribution to the community, be it in school projects, local community projects or international projects. Ariadne does all this with a graciousness and modesty.
“She is a kind, thoughtful, friendly student with wonderful leadership qualities: empathy, encouragement of others, team spirit, enlightened ideas and endless energy. She exemplifies the meaning of contribution to community in a very real and meaningful way. She is making a difference at her young age. I look forward to seeing what she will achieve in the future.”
The programme, which is run in partnership with the National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals (NAPD) and the General Teaching Council for Northern Ireland (GTCNI), rewards post-primary students for outstanding acts of volunteerism and the positive contribution they make in their local communities and further afield.
The post-primary students will be presented with €500 and an engraved silver medallion at the awards ceremony on March 22 at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. This year the top two junior honourees will also receive an additional €500 for their chosen charity for the first time. At the event, two of the 20 students will be named All-Ireland Youth Volunteers of the Year, receiving €1,000, a gold medallion, a crystal trophy for their school and an all-expense paid trip to the United States in May to participate in the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards ceremony.
For more information about the 2018 Pramerica Spirit of Community Awards, which is supported by Volunteer Now, Volunteer Ireland, Scouting Ireland and Foróige, follow the Pramerica Spirit of Community Snapchat (Pramerica.soc) Facebook page, Instagram, Twitter feed @Pramerica_SOC, or visit www.spirit.pramerica.ie.