Amherst Youth Board Service to Youth Awards
Sponsored by The Amherst Bee

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Stephanie Mulhern Youth Female Volunteer

Stephanie has been a member of Amherst Youth Engaged in Service since 2003 and became an Advisory Board Member in 2004. As an Amherst YES member, Stephanie has volunteered more than 400 hours, including service in nursing homes, children's programs, the United Way Day of Caring and various community events.

As an Advisory Board Member, she has collaborated with other students to design new member orientations, during which Stephanie leads discussions on volunteerism. Stephanie is also a member of the Amherst Youth Consortium and took on the planning of the Town of Amherst Youth Council.

A senior at Williamsville South, Stephanie currently serves as Student Congress vice president. Last year, Stephanie logged more than 85 volunteer hours as an intern with Rep. Thomas Reynolds.

Michael Alcazaren

Youth Male Volunteer

Mike has been involved with the Amherst Youth Consortium for the past four years, with more than 250 volunteer hours, and has been a strong asset to his school and our community.

A l c a z a re n

As an elementary and middle school student, Mike was an altar server at St. Leo the Great, and for the past two years, he has volunteered as a lector at St. Leo's.

A senior at Williamsville East High School, Mike has played football at both the varsity and junior varsity levels and has been a member of the boys modified basketball team and indoor track team. He is also a member of the Williamsville East Orchestra and has played in the pit for East's production of "The Wiz."

Mike has also participated in the Amherst Relay Challenge and in 2006 became a co-chair on a Relay committee and mentored two freshmen at Williamsville East to successfully form teams to participate in the event.

David Dengler

Adult Volunteer

A 40-year resident of Amherst and member of the Amherst Central School District Board of Education for more than 10 years, Dengler has been a tireless advocate for the children and families of the district. Moreover, his efforts have had an equal impact on the greater community through a number of related advocacy initiatives.

Dengler

Dengler's commitment to the community goes well beyond his service on the Board of Education. He was one of the founding members of the Eggertsville Community Organization. David, along with his colleagues from the Amherst Alumni Foundation, led the effort for the all-weather track and field complex on the Amherst High School campus. In 2006, the Amherst PTA awarded David the "Lifetime Achievement Award" for his dedication to the children of Amherst.

Thomas Lucia

Adult Professional

Currently a sixth-grade teacher at Casey Middle, Lucia has taught in the Williamsville School District for 39 years. He has served on the Amherst Youth Board for nine years, serving two years as board chair, and has also served on the Williamsville Youth and Recreation Committee for 11 years.

He has helped plan and found many events, such as the Village of Williamsville's annual

Halloween parade and fishing derby. He was also a co-chair for the Amherst Youth Board's All Day/All Night Relay Challenge.

Lucia

He coordinates the Casey Middle Challenge Group, which develops student leaders who promote healthy living. As the faculty representative to the PTSA, he attends the annual overnight leadership camp at Houghton College.

Amherst Soccer Assn. Business/Organization The Amherst Soccer Association is an all-volunteer, nonprofit organization dedicated to providing children instruction, enjoyment and competition in the sport. The ASA is dedicated to providing positive role models to help build character, leadership and teamwork in children that will enhance their lives beyond the sport.

Its volunteer base of 300 includes a board of 15 adults, volunteer coaches, assistant coaches and team managers. The Association has provided in excess of $100,000 in funds for the improvement of North French and Paradise parks through irrigation, equipment, construction, landscaping and fertilization.

Melissa Reed Chudy

Spirit of Hope Award

The Amherst Youth Board is proud to recognize the inspirational efforts of the late Melissa Reed Chudy through this year's Sprit of Hope Award.

Chudy

She had a passion for transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary and a unique gift for visualizing the seemingly unreachable and working diligently to achieve it.

Her involvement with the Amherst Youth Foundation led to the initiation of a $2.7 million capital project to convert the former Hutchinson Hose fire hall into the current Independent Health Youth & Family Center. Despite her failing health, Melissa continued to work tirelessly to strive for the success of these undertakings.

For more information, call the Amherst Youth Board:

631-7215

7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 7 at Classics V Banquet Center,

2425 Niagara Falls Blvd.