Toyota of Stuart has stepped up this year to help CHARACTER COUNTS! sustain the annual Joe Kordick Youth Character Awards.

With an $8,000 contribution, Toyota of Stuart has become major sponsor of the program.

The awards will be presented at 7 p.m. Jan. 24 at the Wolf High-Technology Center on the Chastain Campus of IRCC, 2400 Salerno Road, Stuart.

The awards are named in honor of the late Joe Kordick, founding chairman and driving force of CHARACTER COUNTS! in Martin County. The awards go to eighth- and 12th-grade students who have demonstrated uncompromising integrity, community service and the six pillars of character — Trustworthiness, Responsibility, Respect, Fairness, Caring and Citizenship. 

In 2001, Mr. Kordick left a legacy to fund the Youth Character Awards with $10,000 each year for 10 years. With the growth of Martin County and the addition of more schools, new sponsors were needed to keep the prizes at the same levels as in past years.

Other sponsors include Kramer, Sopko & Levenstein, PA and Proctor, Crook & Crowder Inc.

This year, eighth-grade recipients will each receive a $1,000 savings bond and high school winners will each receive a $2,000 check.

The nomination process for the awards was opened to the community-at-large this year. Previously, nominations were limited to faculty and staff from the schools.

Out of more than 60 nominations, 15 outstanding students were selected as Youth Character Award recipients: 

• Clark Advanced Learning Center – Amanda Brown

• Challenger School – Timothy Jones

• Jensen Beach High School – Michael Alexander, Danielle Blakeslee

• Martin County High School – Lauren Cavette

• South Fork High School – Andrea Ramos

• Dr. David L. Anderson Middle School – Karely Aguilar, Derrick Edwards II

• Hidden Oaks Middle School – Heather Bateman, Jonathan Tobias

• Indiantown Middle School – Jessica Gutierrez, Raquel Molina

• Murray Middle School – Lexi Gioseffi, William Li

• Stuart Middle School – Lisa Bresson, Emily Holland

ABOUT CHARACTER COUNTS!

CHARACTER COUNTS!, now in its 11th year in Martin County, provides character-building activities and projects in schools and civic organizations.  CHARACTER COUNTS! presents motivational business seminars and works to increase public awareness of the importance of core ethical values.

For more information regarding CHARACTER COUNTS!, a program of United Way of Martin County, please visit www.charactercounts.net or call (772) 283-4800, ext. 234.