National Awards

Toronto, Ohio

National Award to Adam Chesnut, of the steelmaking town of Toronto, Ohio, who persuaded his paper route customers to join Make A Difference Day.

Usually, paper carrier Adam Chesnut can loft the Steubenville Herald-Star onto his customers' porches in 45 minutes. But his route took six hours Oct. 25, national Make A Difference Day, because after he left the papers he lugged away bags and boxes of donations for the disadvantaged.

When the 14-year-old first read about the day, "the title of it really got to me: Make A Difference Day." He hand-wrote a note, his dad made 50 photocopies and, a week before the event, Adam left a "Dear Customer" note on each porch. The note asked for used clothes and household items Goodwill Industries could resell to help the needy.

Oct. 25, with Mom driving the family truck, Adam collected 50 large bagfuls, dropped them at Goodwill and had "one of the greatest feelings I have ever felt. When you help somebody out, that's helping you out, too," says the honor student. "It lifts your spirits to see people's faces. You can see the happiness."

$2,000 award will benefit Goodwill Industries Rehabilitation Center, Wintersville, Ohio

Photo by Richard Kelly for USA WEEKEND.

 

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