Neenah High School senior Evan Arnold has been named the state’s top youth high school volunteer by the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards.
Arnold received $1,000, an engraved medallion at the District Board of Education meeting on Feb. 20 and an all-expense paid trip to Washington, D.C. for four days of recognition events in late April. During the trip, 10 students will be named America’s top youth volunteers of 2018.
Arnold, the son of Paul and Debra Arnold, started a foundation in 2009 that has delivered more than $50,000 worth of baseball equipment to children in need in 38 countries and organized one-day baseball clinics for orphans and the children of incarcerated parents in Arizona. Arnold has always had a love for baseball and learned that children around the world shared his love of the game, but many cannot afford proper equipment so they have to use things like tree branches, metal poles and rolled-up cloth to play baseball.
Arnold's response was to create "Step Up To The Plate," a foundation dedicated to providing new or gently-used baseball gloves, bats, balls, shoes and uniforms to children in need. To start, Arnold created branding and marketing materials, and established a presence on social media. He then reached out to sporting goods stores, minor league baseball teams, parks and recreation departments and youth baseball organizations for donations of new and gently-used equipment. Lacking the funds to ship crates of supplies overseas, Arnold persuaded organizations and individuals already traveling abroad to carry his donated equipment with them. In addition to this activity and his baseball clinics in Arizona, Arnold was elected last year as president of "Peace is The Goal, Inc.," a nonprofit that provides soccer equipment to children in need.
At Neenah High School, he is involved in the school’s Key Club and participates in lacrosse.
On April 30, 10 of the State Honorees – five middle level and five high school students – will be named America's top youth volunteers of 2018. These National Honorees will receive additional $5,000 awards, gold medallions, crystal trophies and $5,000 grants from The Prudential Foundation for nonprofit charitable organizations of their choice.
The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards is now in its 23rd year and represents the United States' largest youth recognition program based solely on volunteer service. The awards are conducted by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals.
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