Healthy Gloucester Collaborative Gloucester Youth Council Receives Statewide Award at 20th Annual Kick Butts Day at the Massachusetts State House.
Gloucester High School Senior Kelly Hurd is recognized with Statewide Youth Leadership Award
Gloucester, MA – On March 18th, 2015, ten members of the Healthy Gloucester Collaborative Gloucester Youth Council took part in the 20th annual Kick Butts Day at the Massachusetts State House. The 84 Movement, which is a statewide youth movement that fights Big Tobacco Companies, runs the annual Kick Butts Day event. Chapters from across the state come together to raise awareness regarding the sneaky tactics big tobacco companies use to target youth.
The 84 Movement represents the 84% teens in Massachusetts who do not smoke. Since the launch of the movement in 2007, that statistic has increased to 89%. Gloucester High School senior Kelly Hurd, a founding member of the Healthy Gloucester Collaborative Gloucester Youth Council, was presented with the Statewide Youth Leadership Award. This award is presented to a high school student that has demonstrated excellence in youth leadership and advocacy community and statewide to prevent tobacco use. She was chosen out of hundreds of other students and made a speech before an audience of more than 400 attendees at the State House during the award ceremony. She was also presented with an official citation from Senator Bruce Tarr.
More than 200 high school students participated in the day’s activities. The Healthy Gloucester Collaborative Gloucester Youth Council had meetings with Senator Bruce Tarr and Representative Ann-Margaret Ferrante in which they discussed local policies and issues pertaining to tobacco. Both legislators were extremely supportive and engaged with the students and the issue. The day ended with a ceremony, where the Healthy Gloucester Collaborative Gloucester Youth Council was awarded The Statewide Chapter of the Year for the second consecutive year. This award is based on the number and quality of activities the group had completed during the 2014- 2015 school year thus far.
Filed under: Good Morning Gloucester
