Two Massachusetts Youth Honored for Volunteerism at National Award Ceremony in Washington, D.C.

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Massachusetts' top two youth volunteers of 2015, Brian Salit, 18, of Seekonk and Megan O'Donovan, 13, of Mendon, were honored in the nation's capital last night for their outstanding volunteer service during the 20^th annual presentation of The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards. Brian and Megan – along with 100 other top youth volunteers from across the country – each received $1,000 awards and personal congratulations from "Good Morning America" co-anchor Robin Roberts at an award ceremony and gala dinner reception held at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History.

The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program, sponsored by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), named Brian and Megan Massachusetts' top high school and middle level youth volunteers in February. In addition to their cash awards, they each received an engraved silver medallion and an all-expense-paid trip with a parent to Washington, D.C., for four days of recognition events.

Brian, a senior at Seekonk High School, has organized three large conferences with his brothers over the past three years that have provided more than 1,000 high school student leaders with the knowledge and tools to implement distracted-driving prevention programs in their own schools and communities. In early 2012, a car accident caused by a texting driver took the life of a track athlete who was scheduled to compete against Brian's team that night. "The accident had a profound impact on me," said Brian. "I felt that I had to do something to prevent this from happening to others."

Several months later, Brian and his two brothers attended an event on teenage distracted driving hosted by the National Organizations for Youth Safety in Washington, D.C., and came back determined to host their own local "summits" on distracted driving. They recruited two teachers and several friends to help, raised $5,000 from local and corporate sponsors, and invited government officials, victim advocates and experts in a variety of fields to speak. "The event was a huge success," said Brian. Student leaders from more than 20 high schools attended that first summit at the Massachusetts State House. A second summit last year attracted over 450 attendees, and a third summit was held in August 2014 that attracted more than 300 student leaders. The Governors Highway Safety Association highlighted the Salits' summits and estimated that they have impacted more than 70,000 students so far across New England.

Megan, a seventh-grader at Miscoe Hill School, promoted "letterboxing" in the town of Milford as a fun way to encourage kids and families to get exercise by walking, running or riding on local trails. Megan had recently been introduced to letterboxing, a kind of treasure hunt in which participants seek out small, weatherproof containers hidden in publicly accessible places by following clues or a map. When Megan learned that Milford was expanding its trail system, "I thought, what a perfect combination: a fun activity for a family, group or individual to do while getting exercise on the trail," she said.

Working with Milford's school superintendent, Megan presented her idea in a video to a coalition of community members working to promote outdoor and fitness activities in Milford. She researched current locations of letterboxes along Milford's trails, found places where new boxes could be placed, and created her own letterbox. Then she hosted a table at a health expo, explaining her initiative and handing out information on how to enjoy letterboxing. "It's fun introducing new concepts to people, especially if those concepts make for a better life," said Megan.

"As we celebrate the 20th anniversary of The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, we are delighted to recognize the 2015 honorees for their exemplary volunteer service," said John Strangfeld, chairman and CEO of Prudential Financial, Inc. "These young people have demonstrated leadership, compassion and perseverance, and we look forward to seeing all they accomplish in the future."

"These honorees represent the best of what America's youth have to offer," said G.A. Buie, president of NASSP. "They have set a powerful example for their peers by proving that one young person really can make a difference, and it is a privilege to shine a spotlight on their good works."

Youth volunteers in grades 5-12 were invited to apply for 2015 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards last fall through schools, Girl Scout councils, county 4-H organizations, American Red Cross chapters, YMCAs and affiliates of the HandsOn Network. More than 33,000 middle level and high school students nationwide participated in this year's program.

The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program was created in 1995 to identify and recognize young people for outstanding volunteer service – and, in so doing, inspire others to volunteer, too. In the past 20 years, the program has honored more than 100,000 young volunteers at the local, state and national level.

For more information about The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards and this year's honorees, visit http://spirit.prudential.com or www.nassp.org/spirit.

About NASSP

The National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) is the leading organization of and voice for middle level and high school principals, assistant principals, and school leaders from across the United States and 35 countries around the world. The association connects and engages school leaders through advocacy, research, education, and student programs. NASSP advocates on behalf of all school leaders to ensure the success of each student and strengthens school leadership practices through the design and delivery of high-quality professional learning experiences. Reflecting its long-standing commitment to student leadership development, NASSP administers the National Honor Society, National Junior Honor Society, National Elementary Honor Society, and National Association of Student Councils. For more information about NASSP, located in Reston, VA, visit www.nassp.org.

About Prudential Financial

Prudential Financial, Inc. PRU, a financial services leader, has operations in the United States, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. Prudential's diverse and talented employees are committed to helping individual and institutional customers grow and protect their wealth through a variety of products and services, including life insurance, annuities, retirement-related services, mutual funds and investment management. In the U.S., Prudential's iconic Rock symbol has stood for strength, stability, expertise and innovation for more than a century. For more information, please visit www.news.prudential.com.

Editors: For full-color pictures of the Spirit of Community Awards program logo and medallions, click here: http://bit.ly/Xi4oFW

For B-roll of Massachusetts' honorees at the 2015 national recognition events, contact Prudential's Harold Banks at (973) 216-4833 or harold.banks@prudential.com.

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/multimedia/home/20150504006237/en/