Westfield Student Named 'Outstanding Young Citizen'

WESTFIELD, NJ - The National Liberty Museum (NLM) celebrates its 19th annual TD Bank Young Heroes Awards on Thursday, Aug. 15 and Westfield High School's Kyle Snyder, 15, is among the 13 finalists who identified an area where liberty was lacking and took action to make positive change in their local schools or communities.

This year’s TD Bank Young Heroes were chosen from among a pool of national nominations, submitted by friends, teachers and community members who recognized the incredible contributions of these outstanding young citizens. The award recognizes young people who have championed liberty through civic engagement, conflict resolution, diversity promotion, and school or community leadership.

“We are proud to honor these young people for using their time, their talents and the needed resources to give selflessly to others, the very attributes of heroism that are ingrained in our museum’s mission,” said Gwen Borowsky, CEO of the NLM. “When these young people stand up against injustice and get involved in solving world problems they send a message to others that they are committed to protecting the cornerstones of our democracy – liberty and freedom. As they work every day to show that freedom and liberty matter, they make a difference in the world that is larger than their daily routine. These young heroes deserve recognition for the many purposeful and thoughtful things they do to make their schools and their communities a better place.”

Here is what they said about Snyder:

"For the past five years, Kyle has been using his passion for hockey to volunteer for sled hockey, helping young, disabled children leave their wheelchairs by pushing them on sleds to play hockey. He has also served as a junior coach for sled hockey and helped raise money for the sled hockey program."

To mark the occasion, TD Bank Representatives, National Liberty Museum leadership, friends and family will gather for a special event where each Young Hero will be recognized and their stories will be shared. KC Miller will be the Keynote Speaker. KC won the Young Heroes Award in 2017 for his extensive work in advocating for the LGBT+ community as well as more comprehensive and inclusive sex education initiatives.

"TD Bank is honored to support this year's TD Bank Young Heroes Awards for the 16th year at the National Liberty Museum," said Pennsylvania Market President, Tom Shoemaker. "Through TD’s Ready Commitment platform, we are committed to supporting programs such as this which make our communities stronger, more vibrant and prosperous. "

The Award Ceremony will begin at 11 a.m. emceed by NBC10’s Vai Sikahema . Each Young Hero will be presented with a special medal and certificate to commemorate the occasion. Additionally, a plaque featuring the winners’ stories will be displayed for a year in the Museum’s Young Heroes Exhibit. During the ceremony, one winner will be surprised with the honor of being named the President’s Honor Winner and will receive a $2,000 scholarship. Following the ceremony, there will be a special lunch and the chance to tour the NLM, learning about the many heroes of liberty showcased throughout the Museum.

Thanks for reading! Learn more about posting announcements or events to your local Patch site. Have a news tip you'd like to share? Or maybe you have a press release you would like to submit or a correction you'd like to request? Send an email to russ.crespolini@patch.com

Subscribe to your local Patch newsletter. You can also have them delivered to your phone screen by downloading, or by visiting the Google Play store.