The winners (center) with the Town Board and SAGE’s Mary Olsen
The mission of the Saugerties Community Youth Awards Committee is to recognize and reward the young citizens of the Saugerties area who are “caught” making good choices and doing good deeds. Its goal is to reinforce this positive behavior and promote community awareness of the contributions of these young citizens.
The Saugerties Youth Awards concept was developed by SAGE (Saugerties is About Growth Experiences). The town and village of Saugerties, Saugerties Central School District, Saugerties Boys and Girls Club, and Family of Woodstock all participate. Nominations come from these groups as well as community organizations, groups, and individuals. SAGE is always seeking nominations from the community, and information and nomination forms can be found at the town and village offices as well as on their websites.
Recent winners follow. (Write-up provided by SAGE.)
Nathaniel Auer, 14, nominated by Robert Shaw and AnnChris Warren.
Auer embodies many of the attributes the Boys & Girls Club hopes the youth in our community will have. He is an honor student at Saugerties Senior High School, a regular volunteer at the club during the school year, a junior staff member this past summer, and the Saugerties Boys and Girls Club 2015 Youth of the Year. He is also an active member of the club’s basketball team and Saugerties High School Soccer team.
Christopher Strand, 17, nominated by Robert Shaw and AnnChris Warren.
Strand is a motivated young man who is constantly striving to improve. The words “I can’t” are not in his vocabulary. His can-do attitude has had a remarkable effect on the youth around him. Chris encourages other club members just by being himself. This summer, Chris was a member of the Boys & Girls Club junior staff. He was always willing to go the extra mile, often taking the initiative to ask what he could do to help. His exemplary work ethic and fun-loving attitude with the younger members awarded him a permanent position as a part-time staff member which is a leap that not many junior staff are able to make. Outside of his work commitments, Chris has a passion for basketball and is constantly improving his own game as well as helping the younger members to sharpen their skills.