Local politician awards brothers for hard work

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Eric Schloeffel
  • 347th Rescue Wing Public Affairs
Two family members here were recently recognized for their dedication in helping the local community during a recent ceremony at Congressman Jack Kingston's Valdosta, Ga., office. 

Dennis and Daniel Harris, sons of Dennis, Sr., and Debra Harris, were awarded silver and bronze Congressional awards after committing themselves to hundreds of hours of volunteer work. 

Their quest for the awards began several years ago when Rocanne Buckle, then the Youth Center director, piqued their interest in the program. 

"I saw it as a chance to interact with people from different backgrounds and make a difference in my community," said Dennis, recipient of the silver award and computer science major at Valdosta State University. 

After deciding to embark on the program, the brothers chose Ms. Buckle to be their advisor. The role required her to verify and maintain all volunteering efforts. 

"I saw the potential in these two young men when they volunteered at the Youth Center before we became involved in this," said Ms. Buckle. "I felt the program was a wonderful avenue to obtain recognition for things they were already doing. They are always willing to make an extra effort to help fellow teens and contribute to make a difference in the community." 

The Congressional Award program, for ages 14-23, incorporates four separate areas for participants to log hours toward: personal development, voluntary public service, physical fitness and expedition / exploration. 

Logging hours for each category wasn't easy for the brothers, as they were required to dedicate much of their free time to the program. 

Dennis volunteered more than 200 hours to the Successful Pre-teen Learning and Sharing Humanity program, an outdoor adventure program for Youth Center pre-teens. He planned and coordinated camping trips and trail hikes for SPLASH and mentored Team Moody youth in team building and leadership skills. 

"They underwent a lot of self sacrifice to accomplish this program," said Ms. Buckle. "It was an additional duty they didn't have to take on, but they felt empowered enough to complete it." 

They earned their expedition / exploration requirements by planning a three-day, two-night Suwannee River canoe and horseback riding trip. 

"To meet the requirements of the exploration / expedition category, they couldn't go on a normal camping trip," said Ms. Buckle. "They had to create plans for all supplies and activities, and make sure the trip was adventurous. They learned a lot about themselves during the trip, especially concerning their leadership capabilities." 

Daniel, 18, recipient of the bronze award and a pre-medicine student at VSU, dedicated more than 100 hours volunteering at the Youth Center and deployed family member dinners. He also dedicated time at Valdosta's Soup Kitchen. 

Daniel achieved his personal development goals through architectural design classes, which helped him with his hobby creating Civil War models. Dennis showed personal development through his work with a volunteer fire department and other community volunteer activities. 

The brothers worked daily to accomplish their physical fitness goals by working out according to Air Force Academy fitness guidance, which includes pull-ups, sit-ups, push-ups, and long- and short-distance runs. 

Now armed with these medals, the brothers look forward to completing their overall goal of earning a gold medal, which they are very close to completing already, said Daniel.
During the ceremony, Congressman Kingston praised the brothers' hard work and touted their efforts as proof that today's youth can make a difference. 

"I am very proud to do ceremonies like these because when you hear about young people these days, its usually negative publicity," said the congressman. "Their work has not only made the community better, its made them into better individuals.