A Philadelphia nonprofit organization is $50,000 richer after Wawa handed out its 2022 Wawa Foundation Hero Award Monday morning.
Voted for by the public, Cristo Rey Philadelphia High School won the Wawa Foundation Hero Award at Wawa Welcome America's Celebration of Freedom Ceremony on July 4th.
Members of the public were asked to vote for the nonprofit they'd like to see win the Wawa Foundation Hero Award gold medal. On Monday, Wawa Vice President of Legal and Risk Management, General Counsel and Secretary, Mike Eckhardt said Cristo Rey Philadelphia HS received the highest number of votes.
The college-prep high school received a $50,000 grant to continue supporting and inspiring its youth. Each of the other three finalist received a $10,000 grant, Wawa said.
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"The Wawa Foundation Hero Award honors a non-profit organization, and its volunteers, serving Philadelphia by providing services that build stronger communities through preserving our independence, protecting our safety and mentoring and inspiring our youth," the Wawa Foundation said on its website.
Coded by Kids, Mighty Writers and Philadelphia Youth Basketball were the other 2022 finalists.
Here are the stories of the winner and finalists of each "Hero" nonprofit posted to Wawa's site:
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16 days of free events celebrating Freedom and Liberty | June 19 – July 4, 2023
Cristo Rey Philadelphia High School
"Cristo Rey Philadelphia High School, a Catholic, college preparatory school for students of all faiths, nurtures, and challenges 550 underserved students to recognize and realize their full potential. To ensure all students are college-ready upon graduation, the Cristo Rey curriculum combines a rigorous, data-driven academic program with paid, professional internships. All students work four days a week in professional jobs with companies across the Philadelphia area, earning 50% of the cost of their education through their own work. In partnership with our students and their families, Cristo Rey Philadelphia’s faculty, staff, job partners, and supporters are everyday heroes working to positively impact the futures of hundreds of young men and women in Philadelphia."
Philadelphia Youth Basketball (PYB)
"Philadelphia Youth Basketball (PYB) is a community-built youth empowerment organization that leverages the iconic game of basketball to help today’s urban youth overcome the most urgent and systemic issues facing underserved communities. PYB holds workshops, amassed over 6,500 programming hours, and served over 275,000 meals. They have partnered with over 70 schools, recreation centers, churches, synagogues, and mosques in the City of Philadelphia. PYB has over 250 volunteers annually, and 50 tutors. PYB prioritizes investing in the development of adult staff, especially our coach-mentors, the majority of whom come from similar circumstances and communities as the young people in our programs. They are currently working to open a $30 million dollar complex, The Alan Horwitz,˜Sixth Man’ Center, that will serve as a safe haven and empowerment vehicle for thousands of boys and girls per year. PYB helps thousands of young people find their voice, value, and visibility during their critical formative years — to bring about meaningful community change and lasting economic mobility."
Coded by Kids
"Coded by Kids’ mission is to prepare underrepresented young people to succeed as tech and innovation leaders through high-quality tech education, project-based learning, mentorship, and real-world business opportunities. The organization began as a passion project for military veteran and Germantown, Philadelphia native Sylvester Mobley who has grown the organization’s impact from serving a few children in a Philadelphia recreation center to an organization that now serves hundreds of children per year in numerous locations. Today, Coded by Kids educates, inspires, and mentors the next generation of tech and innovation leaders in Philadelphia with programs that teach web development, digital design, tech startup and entrepreneurship concepts, hosting citywide coding competitions, internships, and mentoring opportunities to help kids gain technical skills. Coded by Kids is encouraging kids to become heroes in their own futures with programs that will prepare them to track into scalable, high-growth and high-skilled careers."
Mighty Writers
"Mighty Writers’ mission is to teach kids, ages 3-17, to think clearly and write with clarity so they can achieve success at school, at work, and in life. Through afterschool and summer writing programs, Mighty Writers develops unique and enriching communities, champions the stories of diverse youth writers, and drives each student to reach their maximum potential. Mighty Writers is the only non-profit that provides free, high-quality, bilingual, culturally, and community-oriented writing programs to children, ages 3-17. Less than 70% graduate high school in the areas served, and the literacy proficiency rate hovers around 35% for their grade band. To accomplish their goals, Mighty Writers’ programs take a holistic approach. They know that kids can’t think clearly when they are hungry. That’s why Mighty Writers continues to support their communities with food and other essential resources. Through the organization’s core values of resilience, respect, and optimism, young people develop their superpower – the power of the pen!"
Past winners include the Veterans Group (2021), Broad Street Ministry (2020), Pennsylvania Center for Adapted Sports (2019), Boys & Girls Clubs of Philadelphia (2018), Operation Yellow Ribbon of South Jersey (2017) and SPIN (2016).
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