Congratulations to this year’s awardees!
Thank you to everyone who helped make the 2018 Roots of Prevention Award Celebration a success!
A little April snow didn’t slow down over one hundred people who gathered at ECHO Center to honor Burlington’s prevention heroes at ECHO. Mayor Miro Weinberger kicked off the celebration with a tribute to the efforts being made by local coalitions to combat the opioid crisis. Vermont State Attorney General, T.J. Donvan, gave a rousing speech emphasizing inclusion, equity and opportunity as the foundation of prevention work. Two middle school students from BPHC’s BE Above prevention group, Tatiana Byam and Zoe Paxton, presented information about the dangers of the rampant vaping and Juuling trends among their peers.
This year’s honorees included Burlington Soccer leaders Bob Day, Fran Demasi, and Jack Myers who received the Outstanding Program Award. Alison Segar, a self-identified “soccer mom”, shared how the three men were instrumental in helping bring young men from diverse backgrounds together through a love of soccer.
King Street Center’s Education Director, Deena Murphy, was honored with a Families & Children Award for her tireless work helping kids in Burlington access healthy activities that nurtured their minds & bodies. King Street Center’s Executive Director, Vicky Smith, praised Murphy for her dedication to the well-being of each student she interacts with and her inspiring curiosity.
Around a dozen Burlington High School International Club members received the Outstanding Group Award in the company of their school advisor Susan Blethen and local pediatrician Andrea Green. Several students took turns sharing the story of the “All Are Welcome” symbol that they created and distributed as a way of sharing their message that Vermont was a tolerant and inclusive community.
Burlington High School student, Hawa Adam, received the DG Weaver Award, for her creative approach to prevention advocacy through poetry and performance art. Hawa’s commitment to social justice & prevention work was hailed by Emerge Vermont Executive Director Ruth Hardy and fellow BHS student Balkisa Abdikadir.
BPHC Director, Mariah Sanderson, highlighted the common thread among this year’s award recipients: supporting efforts, programs & initiatives that ensure making the healthy choice the easy choice by standing up for the most vulnerable in our community.
To nominate a prevention hero for next year’s celebration, please follow this link: http://bit.ly/RootsOfPrevention.
If you’d like to sponsor BPHC’s work in the community you can do so via this link: http://bit.ly/DonateBPHC.
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