Do Something Awards over $150,000 to Support Young Activists
It was a star studded, feel good time during the Do Something Awards at the Apollo Theater in Harlem last night, where the organization revealed the five $10,000 winners of a Do Something Award. Reaching over 12 million people (age 25 and under) in 2008, Do Something is driven by its rule of "No Money, No Car, and No Adults!" It has become a trusted resource for young people looking to get involved in their community, and DoSomething.org gives young people easy ways to take action around and get involved in over 80 causes and issues.
Here are the five winners of the 2009 Do Something Awards - all of whom were incredibly inspiring to see on stage last night and hear in person about the amazing difference they have each made with their respective causes. A big congratulations goes to Maggie Doyne, 22 who was the winner of the $100,000 grand prize for her orphanage in Nepal. Well done Maggie - I love to see young women making change.
Marvelyn Brown, 25
The Marvelous Connections Tour
Nashville, TN - At 19, Marvelyn thought that when her "prince charming" said he didn't want to use a condom, it meant he really loved her. Three weeks later, she tested positive for HIV. She was shunned by her community, and her mother even suggested she lie and say she had cancer. Instead of hiding, Marvelyn chose to tell her story. She has spoken to more than half a million people worldwide, urging them to always protect themselves and get tested.
David Burstein, 20Weston, CT - At 16, David wished more young people voted in the 2004 election. He vowed to change that in 2008 by launching "18 in '08." First he made a film. Then he took it across the country and held screenings with politicians and activists. He even registered 25,000 new voters. The election may be over, but David is still making politics a part of young people's lives.
Maggie Doyne, 22
Mendham, NJ - The summer after graduating from high school, Maggie went backpacking in Asia and decided to never come back. Moved by the many orphans she met in Nepal, she used her life savings to buy an acre of land build a children's home. She currently cares for 24 kids and has helped find families for over 700 orphans. Her next plan: build them a school.
Eric Glustrom, 24
Boulder, CO - When Eric was 17, a trip to Uganda changed his life. He wanted to help the community so he founded Educate! to work with socially responsible leaders in Africa and provide them with scholarships, funding, leadership seminars and mentorships. Since then Educate! has trained 165 scholars and impacted over 82,000 people through their locally-grown community initiatives.
Darius Weems, 19
Athens, GA - Darius suffers from Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), a genetic disorder that claimed the life of his older brother. Knowing the rest of his life would be spent in a wheelchair, Darius and friends drove from small-town Georgia to California, hoping to convince West Coast Customs to Pimp his Ride. They decided to film their trip and made a film called "Darius Goes West." Through DVD sales and an educational tour across the country, he has raised almost $2 million for research towards a cure.
ABOUT THE DO SOMETHING AWARDS:
Do Something Award applications are reviewed and judged by the Do Something Award Academy (comprised of former winners) who read through every application and select 12 finalists. The 12 Do Something Award finalists are flown to New York City, where representatives from the Do Something Award Selection Committee interview the finalists face-to-face. The 12 finalists are narrowed down to five Do Something Award winners who will be honored on June 4th, 2009 at a star-studded event at Harlem's World Famous Apollo Theatre in New York City and receive a minimum of $10,000 in community grants and scholarships. Of those five winners, one will be selected as the grand prize Do Something Award winner and receive a total of $100,000 in community grants. The Do Something Award community grant money is paid directly to the not-for-profit of the winner's choice. All winners have the option of receiving $5,000 of the total money awarded in the form of an educational scholarship. Check out www.DoSomething.org/Programs/Awards.
Jen Nedeau
Jen Nedeau is a media relations professional and a writer based in New York City.
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