HOWARD, WI (WTAQ) – Often times those that don’t seek attention are the ones that deserve it the most.
This is the case with Eloise Massee, an eighth-grade student at Bay View Middle School who was named Wisconsin’s top middle school youth volunteer of 2019 by The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards.
The program looks to celebrate young people for acts of volunteerism and service.
Massee has been busy donating her time to a number of causes in the past several years, including co-chairing a committee at school to promote life-saving organ donations by raising funds and awareness.
Some of the other volunteer work she has done includes volunteering at the public library’s summer reading program, a science and engineering camp, and holiday dance clinics for students with special needs.
“I love to help younger kids,” she explains.
Her impact at Bay View Middle School is even all the more impressive considering that she was new to the school just last year.
“Throughout my entire school life, I have always had a desire to become a leader and help others,” she says.
She has helped recruit volunteers, coordinate with a national organ donation organization, register new organ donors, and assist with logistics, while serving as a leader of Bay View’s Northeast Wisconsin Donate Life and Community Service Committee.
For her the cause is personal.
“I have personally had a teacher who needed a blood and bone marrow transplant,” explains Massee.
With her work, she’s looking to help those affected both locally and nationally.
“Right now there are 120,000 people throughout the United States awaiting an organ transplant,” says Massee. “The annual walk helps ensure these wonderful people are given the gift of life.”
In 2018, the annual fundraiser walk raised more than $18,000.
This year, they have set $20,000 as the fundraising goal.
They’re busy at work right now to try and make that goal a reality.
“We ask for the support from local businesses and we also are working to put together an entire silent auction for the walk,” she says.
Another local student, Caragan Olles, a junior at Notre Dame Academy, was named the state’s top high school youth volunteer.
She, along with her brother, worked to start the “Bright Young Dyslexics,” which is aimed at helping students with dyslexia get the extra help they need.
After co-founding the nonprofit organization in 2013 they’ve been able to raise more than $145,000, which has gone towards providing special tutoring, creating resource centers, and educating teachers and parents.
Both students will receive $1,000, an engraved silver medallion and an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C. in May for the national recognition event.
They got the news earlier this week and were plenty excited.
“I was very excited and I was also very excited to use this as a way to spread the word about our walk on April 13,” says Massee.
The pair will be joining the other top two honorees from each state and the District of Columbia.
“I am very excited to meet other individuals from other states and learn about their different community service involvements,” explains Massee.
