Skagit County high school students recognized for volunteering
MOUNT VERNON - High school students from the Anacortes, Burlington-Edison, Concrete, La Conner, Mount Vernon and Sedro-Woolley school districts were recognized Thursday during the Youth United: Varsity in Volunteerism event at the Mount Vernon Library Commons.
Youth United: Varsity in Volunteerism is a youth engagement program created by United General District 304 in partnership with United Way of Skagit County.
About 150 students were celebrated for completing service hours during the school year, with 54 of the students receiving varsity letters for completing at least 100 volunteer hours.
Four awards were handed out:
* Varsity letters for the completion of more than 100 hours of service
* Certificates of recognition for up to 99 hours of service
* Graduation honor cords
* Medals for those who completed at least 200 hours of service
Altogether, the students completed about 14,000 volunteer hours.
"These volunteer hours are more than just numbers. They reflect a spirit of service, civic engagement, and commitment to making our community stronger," said Varsity in Volunteerism program coordinator Olivia Guelich.
While Thursday marked the third anniversary of the event, this year the program is celebrating its 15th anniversary.
United General Chief Operating Officer Carol Hawk said that in the past 15 years, students have completed 100,000 volunteer hours, which amounts to about $4 million in labor.
"When we invest in youth, we really invest in hope, innovation, compassion, and resilience," Hawk said.
For more information on the Varsity in Volunteerism program, visit unitedgeneral.org/viv.
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