Two Indiana Youth Honored for Volunteerism at National Award Ceremony in Washington, D.C.

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Two Indiana students, Alexandra Klaehn, 16, of Fort Wayne and Taylor Kemble, 12, of Knox, were honored in the nation’s capital last night for their outstanding volunteer work during the presentation of The 2009 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards. The two young people – along with 100 other top youth volunteers from across the country – received $1,000 awards as well as personal congratulations from former First Lady Laura Bush at the 14^th annual award ceremony and gala dinner reception, held at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History.

“I feel that it is important because I can help other people.”

Alexandra and Taylor were named the top high school and middle level youth volunteers in Indiana last February. In addition to their cash awards, they received engraved silver medallions and an all-expense-paid trip with their parents to Washington, D.C., for this week’s recognition events.

“The young people receiving these awards genuinely care about making a difference in the lives of others and have accomplished so much – in their own communities and around the world,” said Mrs. Bush, who delivered the keynote address at last night’s ceremony. “I thank and congratulate them for their outstanding volunteer work. Students with this kind of commitment and leadership ability are essential to the future of our nation.”

Alexandra, a sophomore at Concordia Lutheran High School, played a leading role in a group that traveled to Tajikistan to make improvements to a zoo and introduce the concept of volunteerism to citizens of that Central Asian country. It all began when Alexandra’s pen pal in Tajikistan lost her arm in a bear attack at a local zoo. “When I heard that the little girl was hurt, I knew that I needed to find a way to help,” said Alexandra. After concluding that it was not practical to buy the girl a prosthetic arm, Alexandra and a few friends focused on making the zoo a safer place for visitors.

They recruited other students to join their effort, found a local resident from Tajikistan who could help them navigate foreign customs and regulations. They then spent a year and a half applying for grants. When one finally came through, the group made travel arrangements, hired a translator, and flew to Tajikistan with zoo experts from a local animal park. At the zoo in Dushanbe, Alexandra and her fellow volunteers spent 11 days working on animal cages, painting fences, preparing for new playground equipment, and discussing modern zoo-safety techniques with the zoo’s staff. They also conducted classes to acquaint their hosts with the concept and practicalities of volunteerism. Several months later, 10 citizens of Tajikistan came to the U.S. to learn more about zoo management and volunteering.

Taylor, a seventh-grader at Knox Community Middle School, raises funds and donates her time to a variety of community organizations. “I like volunteering a lot,” she said. “I feel that it is important because I can help other people.” Because her mother had cancer, Taylor volunteers for Relay for Life fund-raising events, at which she collects donations, wraps flowers, passes out papers, and helps in any way she can. She also helps clean a nonprofit organization’s building, cares for small children during church services and school PTO meetings, serves as a cashier in her school’s bookstore, and works in the school library. In addition, Taylor made snow cones to raise funds for a college scholarship program. “For all of my volunteer work I have given happiness to a lot of people who really needed it,” Taylor said. “I was able to have fun with my friends and help others all at the same time.”

“Alexandra and Taylor are inspiring examples of young Americans who care deeply about the needs of others and who have taken the initiative to help meet those needs,” said John R. Strangfeld, Chairman and CEO of Prudential Financial, Inc. “By honoring them, we hope not only to give them the recognition they so richly deserve, but also to inspire others to follow their example.”

Nearly 20,000 young people submitted applications for the 2009 awards program last fall through schools, Girl Scout councils, county 4-H organizations, American Red Cross chapters, YMCAs and affiliates of the Points of Light Institute’s HandsOn Network. The top middle level and high school applicants in each state were selected in February, and were flown to Washington this week with their parents for four days of special recognition events.

Conducted in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards were created 14 years ago by Prudential Financial, Inc. to encourage youth volunteerism and to identify and reward young role models. Since then, the program has honored nearly 90,000 young volunteers at the local, state and national level.

“The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program is a fabulous partnership between NASSP and Prudential, allowing us to recognize the outstanding young people in our schools and communities,” said NASSP President Larry Bradley. “This year’s honorees exemplify the true spirit of helping others and by doing so they give America and the world a promising future, a future filled with compassion and hope.”

The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards are supported by the American Association of School Administrators, the National Middle School Association, the National School Boards Association, the Council of the Great City Schools, Girl Scouts of the USA, National 4-H Council, the American Red Cross, YMCA of the USA, the Points of Light Institute, and other national education and service organizations.

More information about The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards and this year’s honorees can be found at http://spirit.prudential.com or www.principals.org/prudential.

In existence since 1916, the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) is the preeminent organization of and national voice for middle level and high school principals, assistant principals, and aspiring school leaders from across the United States and more than 45 countries around the world. NASSP’s mission is to promote excellence in school leadership. The National Honor Society®, National Junior Honor Society®, National Elementary Honor Society™, and National Association of Student Councils® are all NASSP programs. For more information about NASSP, located in Reston, Va., visit www.principals.org or call 703-860-0200.

Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE:PRU) is a financial services leader with operations in the United States, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. Leveraging its heritage of life insurance and asset management expertise, Prudential is focused on helping approximately 50 million individual and institutional customers grow and protect their wealth. The company’s well-known Rock symbol is an icon of strength, stability, expertise and innovation that has stood the test of time. Prudential's businesses offer a variety of products and services, including life insurance, annuities, retirement-related services, mutual funds, investment management, and real estate services. For more information, visit www.news.prudential.com.

[Editors: full-color pictures of the Spirit of Community Awards program logo and medallions are available at http://spirit.prudential.com.]

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=5954248&lang=en