At the Orlando City Council meeting on Sept. 29, three Boone programs won 12 different categories in the Jefferson Awards’ Lead 360 Challenge . The Lead 360 Challenge is a partnership between the Jefferson Awards and local government officials, which spotlights youth making a difference in the community through service projects. These programs have impacted the community through action and donations. The Student Government Association, represented by sophomores Tate Harper, Parker Robins, Mady Benton, Kaitlyn Cullen, Sophie Brown, and seniors McKenna Crager, Lindsay Perrin and Lauren Duffy, won for the following programs at the ceremony:
• Green Up Boone helped beautify the campus with students volunteering to pick up trash, weed and rematch flower beds.
• Brave Aid raised $4500 for homeless veterans.
• Kiss the Pig earned $2300, which provided less fortunate families a Thanksgiving meal.
• The student/faculty basketball game generated $1500 for the Russell Home.
• The blood drive collected blood from students on campus.
• Pasta for Pennies raised $900 for leukemia research.
• Teens for Jeans collected 600 pairs of jeans.
“These projects really made a difference to people who may not be able to have the luxuries we take for granted. They really helped many members of our Boone family,” Sophomore Class Secretary Parker Robins said
The Baking Braves, represented by Perrin, Brown and senior Camille Rimmer, earned awards for their following annual projects:
• Valentines for Teachers provided teachers with a goody bag on Valentines Day.
• Sweets for Spring Break showed the members of Baking Braves’ appreciation to their middle school teachers with cookies.
• Compassion Corner Cookies donated cookies to a homeless shelter in downtown Orlando.
• Cookies for Elders baked cookies for an elderly living center’s winter dance.
“I don’t think a lot of people think of Baking Braves as a legitimate club. We just try to help out as many organizations as we can. I’m glad the students got recognition for their service to others,” Jennalyn Patton, Baking Braves sponsor, said. Spanish Club, represented by Diane Laureano, president of the club, Elizabeth Brady and Victoria Allanson, co-presidents of the club, received an award for the following program:
• The Shirt Off Your Project collected between 600 and 800 long sleeve button down shirts for the Farmworkers Association in Apopka to protect the workers from pesticides, thorns and the sun.
Among the other schools present at the ceremony, Boone’s presence was the most prominent because of the number of awards they won compared to other schools. At the meeting, the presenter even mentioned that Boone had won the majority of the awards. “I was excited that all of the hard work we did had been noticed,” senior Lindsay Perrin, Baking Braves president, said.