Meet the SAMMI Nominees for the Youth Advocate Category

The SAMMI Awards will be held on Friday and event organizers are inviting the community to attend the annual event to honor people who have contributed to life on the Sammamish Plateau.

To honor the nominees and give the public a brief introduction to them, Sammamish Patch will be running profiles and photos of each person until the event doors open.

The written introductions and photographs were supplied by the SAMMI Awards. Sammamish Patch and other sponsors have contributed to the annual event.

"The people we honor have made unselfish contributions to the quality of life in our city, and in doing so they inspire all of us (to) give back," SAMMI Awards Executive Director Cary Young wrote in a letter to the community.

"This type of award ceremony is truly unique to Sammamish, and reflects the values that make our city one of the best small cities in America."

The awards ceremony will be held at 7 pm at Eastridge Church at 24205 SE Issaquah-Fall City Rd. in Issaquah. The doors open at 5:30 pm. The event is open to the public. But organizers would appreciate a $5 per person donation.

On average, about 400 people attend the annual event.

Here are the nominees for the 2011 Youth Advocate Category:

Anne Ginther

• Contagious ComPASSION is what describes Anne Ginther. Anne is all about seeing the possibilities in any idea that a young person might bring to her. As founder of the nationally recognized organization Random Kid, Anne has become the catalyst, coach and cheerleader to inspire our youth to take action. Her philosophy of empowering children to take dreams and move them into realistic attainable goals and actions inspired one 13-year-old to raise $75K for a Habitat for Humanity project in the Katrina-torn South. A nine-year-old, who has seen homelessness herself, led a drive to furnish a home for a single mother and her four children because she believes that "Every living thing should have a home." Anne believes each person brings value. Teaching applied empathy, and encouraging children to "shoot for the moon, you’ll land among the stars" has consistently shown that "any random kid can solve world problems." 

Scott Kelly

• As the founder of Pacific Cascade Lacrosse, Scott’s passion for the sport is the catalyst to bring to local children and their families an opportunity to participate in an activity that not only provides organized play, but becomes a base for developing skills and teamwork that will carry them through their lives. Scott’s belief in "no child left behind" underscores the philosophy of success vs. winning. "Winning is a by-product of the hard work, dedication and integrity of the players." How they react when they don’t win on the scoreboard may be more important than actually winning the match. Scott's dedication and the enthusiasm he shows in leading the volunteer staff has grown this program to more than 800 players in less than seven years. Boys and girls from as far as Everett and Tacoma come to Sammamish just so they can play under this club. Scott has also been instrumental in establishing the Lacrosse program at Eastside Catholic School, which has grown to over 135 players. All of this work is on a volunteer basis and in addition to his regular full time job.

Stephen O'Sullivan

• Stephen's young age is not reflective of the old soul that lives inside. As a former engineering student, Stephen found his calling as a Youth Minister at Mary, Queen of Peace. Stephen's belief that providing opportunities both large and small and giving teens a chance to learn and persevere in an all-inclusive program that is safe for all, including those with social anxiety issues and special needs would grow participation and build a sense of community. Two years ago Stephen put this belief to the test by starting a program called Service 1st Sunday, which encompassed a youth service project before church the first Sunday of each month. The response has been so incredible that the projects have expanded and there are waiting lists for some projects now. Stephen's passion for creating community and inclusiveness has stretched far beyond his own immediate Church community at Mary, Queen of Peace to include members of other faiths and even non-believers, proving that Faith is not something that stands alone. 

Michael Shigley

• As President of the Eastside Crusaders Junior Football program, Mike's goal is to "change the tenor" of youth sports by emphasizing first class behavior and academics at the core of the program. Leading the coaching staff and parents with a passionate and sometimes irreverent approach, Mike believes that communicating a clear vision allows adults and kids alike to "buy into" the concept of "demanding a lot to get a lot." Mike's intensity for football shows in his equal intensity around creating a fun environment for the kids to learn and develop. Mike's dedication is reflected in the achievement of seeing his graduating players move on to attending college. Fourteen of his ECF players are playing college football, and come back to visit and talk with young players about setting achieving goals in both academics and sports. "Every decision we make around this program is based on what is in the best interest of the kids."

Carol Stamper

• Carol has been described as a powerhouse with a killer laugh and a passion for giving. At the helm of Girl Scout Service Unit #440, Carol has been the visionary and a driver in developing the adult leadership to facilitate a growth in the number of active Girl Scouts from a couple hundred to over 800 girls and 100+ adult leaders in the Southern Plateau area of Sammamish. Carol's leadership has created an 80 percent retention rate among the Girl Scouts in her Service Unit – one of the highest in scouting.  Her belief that providing a good foundation of goal setting and training builds other's confidence and support, enabling the girls to be engaged and get excited about the opportunities in Girl Scouts. Carol was instrumental in getting a Girl Scout Day Camp started on the Plateau, which has grown to over 550 girls for the week long summer camp at Beaver Lake. Just to be in Carol's presence you quickly understand why her camp name is "Super Girl" – all she needs is the cape!