National honoree

  A trail of compassion for a paralyzed teen

Flagstaff, Ariz. Nick Blankenburg, 17, uninsured and paralyzed just two months before Make A Difference Day, needed help. So 1,000 neighbors, including Kristin Anderson, 16, raised money for his medical bills.

ick Blankenburg, 17, was paralyzed from the chest down in a car accident last August; his family has no health insurance. So on Make A Difference Day, Oct. 24, Nick's loyal friends combined heart with smarts: They launched the kind of outdoorsy projects they know mean the most to him and raised $17,000 to help pay his medical bills. Volunteers spruced up three different locations of the Flagstaff Urban Trail System Nick often hiked. They planted flower gardens at Head Start schools. They assembled bleachers and policed the grounds at City Parks Department projects. At each project site, volunteers could give to the community, and also to a fund for Nick. Brownie Scouts collected food for animal shelters (and stitched Nick a personalized quilt). A food drive collected staples for area shelters. Collection cans at cash registers all over town filled up with cash.

Elementary schools donated money raised from their "Nickels for Nick" campaign. Speaking from Shriner's Hospital for Children in Sacramento, Calif., where he got state-of-the-art treatment for spinal-cord injuries, Nick marvels at what Flagstaff residents did for him, and their community, in just one day. "You never really see the true spirit of the town, then something like this comes along. All these people you don't know before that day rally behind you. It's a tremendous feeling." $10,000 award from Paul Newman benefits the Youth Rehabilitation Fund.