So who are these kids? And why is Do Something giving one of them $100,000?!
The Do Something Awards are for young people who are making a REAL difference in the world and their own communities. They’ve each won $10,000 from DoSomething.org, but only one of them will win $100K on TC – and your votes decide who!
Read about the grand-prize nominees below or click here to see videos they’ve made. They are all amazing, but who do you think deserves that $100K the most?
Do Something Winner
Chad Bullock
Kjerstin Erickson, 24
San Francisco, CA
FORGE
While working in a refugee camp in Botswana, Kjerstin was disturbed to see how refugees and victims of war were treated. She saw things differently - she believed that refugees can be important agents of change that can break the cycle of war and poverty in Africa. Kjerstin created FORGE to empower Africans in exile to rebuild their native communities. They started over 60 community development projects that serve more than 60,000 refugees in five countries.
Dallas Jessup, 16
Vancouver, WA
Just Yell Fire
Don't mess with Dallas. She is a Tae Kwon Do black belt and an instructor in Filipino Street Fighting. After reading about a string of assaults in her area, she decided to use her skills to help teens defend themselves against attack. She created the free Just Yell Fire video and has distributed over 750,000 copies worldwide. She designed a train-the-trainer program, which provides intensive instruction to certify coaches and teachers in teaching defense techniques to teens.
Pat Pedraja, 13
Palm Harbor, FL
Driving for Donors
At the age of 10, Pat developed leukemia. After seeing patients die with no matching donor, Pat learned there was a critical shortage of ethnic minorities on the National Marrow Donor Program Registry. Pat and his mom got into an RV and drove cross country, to 32 cities, to get minorities to join the registry. By selling sponsorship on his bald head, he raised over $140,000 and added 7,000 donors to the NMDP Registry.
Zander Srodes, 18
Cape Haze, FL
Turtle Talks
Growing up by the beach, Zander watched the endangered turtles start families each year, but the number of turtles was dwindling. Zander created an eco-literacy project called Turtle Talks to educate youth on the plight of endangered sea turtles and make them a priority for the young generation. Over 100,000 copies of his illustrated activity books have been distributed to schools in coastal cities worldwide and are available free online in 4 languages. It’s even actively used by conservationists and marine biologists.
Adam Sterling, 25
Los Angeles, CA
Sudan Divestment Task Force (part of Genocide Intervention Network)
Adam comes from a family of Holocaust survivors, so the horrors of Darfur hit close to home. He founded an organization that encourages companies and governments to limit investment in Sudan. Adam’s goal is to encourage political change with this economic pressure. Because of the task force’s efforts, ten major companies have pulled out of Sudan or significantly changed their involvement there. He also drafted and lobbied for the "Sudan Accountability and Divestment Act," which the President signed in 2007. Adam is the subject of the documentary “Darfur Now.”
Daniel Zoughbie, 23
Pacifica, CA
Global Micro-Clinic Project (GMCP)
Daniel transformed his grief over a death in the family into a passion to do something. His grandmother died from diabetes in an area of the Middle East where medical care was scarce. Inspired by her life of service, he began the Global Micro-Clinic Project, establishing 50 community based "micro-clinics". After raising over $700,000, GMCP is expanding its operations to even more countries in the region.
Chad Bullock, 19
Durham, NC
Anti-Smoking Activist
Chad grew up in tobacco country. After losing family members to lung cancer, he became an anti-tobacco activist and a consultant for youth advocacy and tobacco prevention. He has trained 15,000 teens nationwide in developing an action plan, led activists to make Durham Bulls Athletic Park smoke-free, and successfully petitioned the state Attorney General to take action against cigarette advertising campaigns targeting kids.
Caitlin Cohen, 22
Westminster Station, VT
Mali Health Organizing Project (MHOP)
As a medical volunteer in the slums of Mali, Caitlin saw too many preventable deaths. She took action by co-founding the Mali Health Organizing Project. Her approach is revolutionary: MHOP helps the residents work with the Malian government to ensure the availability of quality healthcare. The result is a community of active citizens and a government that delivers on its promises. MHOP has reached 60,000 people with programs for health outreach, microfinance, literacy and peer education.
Kathryn Cunningham, 22
Chadds Ford, PA
Power Up Gambia
Imagine delivering a baby, putting in stitches, or performing a blood transfusion by candle light. This was Kathryn’s reality while volunteering at a Gambian hospital. After witnessing a senseless death because an incubator lacked continuous electricity, she decided to act. Kathryn founded Power Up Gambia with the mission of providing sustainable solar energy to hospitals and clinics in Gambia and educating US youth about renewable energy, African culture and the importance of giving back. This summer, Power Up Gambia installed 72 life-saving solar panels in Gambia.
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