The Greece Regional Chamber of Commerce recently inducted twelve students into the 2021 Youth Hall of Fame, with key support from Presenting Sponsor BTB Wood Fired Pizza Bar & Grill. Now in its 31st year, the Chamber’s Youth Hall of Fame Program provides an important annual opportunity to recognize outstanding high school students who have demonstrated exceptional leadership and personal development along with generous contributions to others and to the community. This year’s event was held in December at the Greece Campus of Bryant & Stratton College.
The Youth Hall of Fame is an initiative of the Greece Regional Chamber of Commerce with support from regional businesses, schools, and government. Inductees are chosen annually by the Chamber’s Youth Hall of Fame Committee, currently chaired by Robert Kopacz and comprised of Greece Regional Chamber Business Members, all of whom serve as volunteers. The Committee reviews nominations of area 11th and 12th grade students who have shown leadership and community spirit through exceptional personal, volunteer, scholastic, and workforce achievement. Candidates for the award are nominated by high school teachers, counselors and administrators, area businesses, community youth agencies, service organizations or area residents.
The Greece Regional Chamber presented this award to youth who have demonstrated leadership and dedicated service to our community and their peers, have coped with a life challenge, or overcome a personal tragedy. In some cases, our award winners meet all of these criteria.
The 2021 Youth Hall of Fame Inductees are: Yashoda Chhetri, Greece Athena High School; Jameson DiPalma, Hilton High School; Emma Rose Fredrick, Greece Odyssey Academy; Alexander Holloway, Greece Athena High School; Xavier Hurell, Greece Olympia High School; Matthew Latona, Greece Athena High School; Elexus Miller, Greece Arcadia High School; Huzaifa Muhammad, Greece Olympia High School; Melissa Mujicic, Greece Odyssey Academy; Gideon H. Oh, Greece Athena High School; Coty Perno, Greece Athena High School; and Kanye Shelton, Greece Odyssey Academy.
The Youth Hall of Fame is featured as a year-long display at the Greece Regional Chamber’s kiosk at The Mall at Greece Ridge to honor not only this year’s outstanding students but also those from the past 30 years along with acknowledging our sponsors.
The Chamber recently announced and recognizes the following sponsors for this year’s Youth Hall of Fame: Presenting Sponsor: BTB Wood Fired Pizza Bar & Grill; Gold Sponsors: Bryant & Stratton College, Sign Impressions, The Summit Federal Credit Union, and VanPutte Gardens; Bronze Sponsors: Deborah Ham Whitt Agency, Flower City Monitor Services Ltd (FCMSL), and The Victors Gymnastics; Photography Sponsor: BRL Solutions LLC.
In Kind Sponsors: Greece Central School District, Rockcastle Florist, and The Mall at Greece Ridge
“We are extremely grateful to the business and nonprofit organizations in the Greece Regional Chamber membership for their ongoing dedication and commitment to the youth of our community,” said Greece Regional Chamber President/CEO Sarah Lentini. “We are proud to mark the 31st anniversary of the Chamber’s Youth Hall of Fame and to note all of the wonderful young people – past and present – that we’ve been honored to be able to recognize.”
The 2021 Youth Hall of Fame Committee members are Robert Kopacz (McQuaid Jesuit), Chair; Rhonda Ball (The Summit Federal Credit Union); Sarah Lentini (Greece Regional Chamber of Commerce); Cedrick-Michael Simmons (Greece Central School District); Kyle Van Putte (Van Putte Gardens); and Deborah Witt (Deborah Ham Whitt Agency Inc.).
For more information, contact the Chamber at Info@GreeceChamber.org or 585.944.5800.
Provided Information and Photo
