Although they're both still in high school, Fiona Meehan and Thomas Cremmins have already established themselves as community role models.
Meehan, 18, a senior at Massapequa High School and Cremmins, 17, a Massapequa resident and senior at St. Dominic High School were both honored Tuesday night by the Town of Oyster Bay as 'Kids of Distinction' program winners for 2010.
"Some of these youngsters put us adults to shame," said Councilwoman Elizabeth Faughnan at the board meeting where the awards were handed out. "They actually make me want to reexamine my own life and do better."
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Meehan organized food drives for at St. Rose of Lima Church, and collaborated with the Massapequa Career Center on a program called "The Value of Money: Empowering Children During a Recession."
She explained the recession to kids and their parents, while preparing activities and crafts to reinforce the importance of saving money.
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She was probably too busy to realize she'd be honored for her work.
"It was a big surprise," she said. "My friends were real happy for me."
Cremmins was a volunteer with the Massapequa Coast Challenger League, a little league for special needs kids. He has also donated his time to the Town of Oyster Bay GAP program, a social and therapeutic program developed to meet the needs of town residents who are mentally challenged, developmentally or learning disabled.
The ceremony has become a family affair for him.
The program, founded by Robert and Philip Eslick of Kids Helping by Kids Way, Inc., was created to recognize outstanding contributions by Oyster Bay teens.
Philip Eslick told the teens it was important to "find a pathway in life that's uniquely yours." He also stressed facing failure as a key to building strong character. "Sometimes, your weakness can also be your greatest strength," he said.
