?Heroes Among Us? celebrates mentors of local youth

The old saying, ?It takes a community to raise a child? rang true last Thursday evening as the Onaway Area Community School Family Resource Center celebrated mentors of local youth with the ?Heroes Among Us? program. Onaway students nominated mentors to be honored ? whether they were friends of the family, aunts, uncles, teachers, or pastors ? the students were prepared to say ?thank you? for helping them grow into outstanding young citizens.

Kathryn Mizzi, a counselor for the Family Resource Center, welcomed the mentors and their special friends to last week?s event, reminding them that giving just a little time can make a big difference in one person?s life. She used a short story about a starfish to represent her point.

Mizzi described a person walking along a shoreline, watching another person up ahead who looked to be dancing by herself. As the person approached the dancing woman, he noticed she wasn?t dancing at all, but was picking up starfish that had washed up on the beach, and throwing them back into the sea. The man asked the woman why she was throwing the starfish back into the sea. He pointed out there were miles of shoreline, and thousands of stranded starfish. He asked the woman how she could possibly make a difference.

The woman picked up one more starfish, threw it back into the sea, and said, ?It makes it difference to that one.?

Mizzi said that mentors of children are like the woman saving the starfish ? making a lasting impression one life at a time. ?You (mentors) have made a difference in a child?s life,? said Mizzi, ?and we celebrate you for that.?

The mentors and students were treated to view a slideshow made possible by the school technology director Barry Fitzpatrick, and an introduction from keynote speaker James Morgan, who is an avid volunteer in the community, as well as active participant in Kiwanis and Big Brothers-Big Sisters.

Nearly 40 mentors were presented with special certificate

s of recognition from each student who nominated them.

The entire group was served dinner donated by Manzana?s, and Subway sandwiches provided by the PTO. Domene James created a beautiful cake depicting the starfish theme for dessert.

The food was served by Sharon Lyon of the board of education, superintendent Bob Szymoniak, DARE officer Joe Brewbaker, United Methodist Church pastor Peter Bartlett, Marma Beatty of State Wide Real Estate, Jane Kroll of the Department of Human Services, Kathy Karsten of Big Brothers-Big Sisters, Kerry Rogers of the PTO, and Katie Jarvis of the Onaway Credit Union.

The Heroes Among Us committee included Kroll, Karsten, Debra Russ from the Millersburg School Success program, school and family liaison Denise Penn, and Tathy Arkwood of the Before/After School program. Many area businesses helped to make the event successful.

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