Alex Gunkel, left, a sixth grade student at Hilton’s Northwood Elementary in teacher Brittany Williams’ REACH (gifted and talented) class, was honored April 20, by the United Nations Association of Rochester with the Outstanding Youth Volunteer Award at the 67th Annual Dinner and Awards Meeting which honors community members for their volunteer work, humanitarian work, and impact in the community.
“Alex was chosen as a volunteer for his work and effort at the 2012 St. John Fisher UNAR Model United Nations Conference,” Williams said. “Alex served as a page at this conference and donated $41.60 to ‘Jar Wars’, a charity fundraiser that the conference holds, even though he knew he would be unable to participate in a possible award with his committee the next day. He wanted to donate the money because he said that “it was going to be a better cause than staying in my wallet.”
A portion of the donations Jar Wars collected at the 2012 St. John Fisher UNAR Model UN Conference was donated to 34 million friends of UNFPA, an organization that helps women and children across the globe. One day Alex would like to work for the United Nations and continue making a difference in his community and throughout the world.
