Thursday night at the Springside Inn, the Auburn Kiwanis Club took time to honor some outstanding individuals that have made a difference to the Auburn community during the club's annual Outstanding Youth Service and Outstanding Service to Youth Awards ceremony.

Karen Lockwood, president of the Auburn Kiwanis Club, said that she has been a part of the organization for 10 years and that service awards stretch back much further into the organization's history.

“This is something our club does that goes back a number of years,” Lockwood said. “It is something nice to give a little recognition to children and an adult that make a difference.”

Lockwood said that each year the club sends out nomination forms to high schools and area volunteer agencies, asking for nominations.

While the awards have been given out for a number of years, Lockwood said that it has not always been a well known award, but this year there was a strong turnout in nominations.

“We had some great applications, and we hope to make more people aware of it and make a connection and get even more next year,” she said.

Once the nominations are submitted, Lockwood said that they are put up for review by a board of Kiwanis members.

“It is something different each year,” Lockwood said. “We always look for something different based on the applications we receive, but we are always looking for someone that has really made a connection and that has really made a commitment to volunteer-ism.”

This year's awards recognized the selfless efforts of three high school seniors and one adult from the community.

Jaide Edwards, 18, a senior at Auburn high School received the night's top honor.

Edwards received $500 as the first-place awards winner, money to be used towards her college education.

“It is a real honor,” Edwards said. “I was shocked to find out I was going to win, but it is really exciting and a really great honor.”

Edwards, who will be attending Nazareth College in the fall has proven herself to be an exceptional student. She will be valedictorian of her graduating class and is also president of the National Honor Society.

Edwards was nominated by school guidance counselor Christine Hoskins-Tardibone.

Hoskins-Tardibone has been more than impressed with the dedication she has seen in Edwards throughout her high school career.

“All you need to do is meet Jaide,” Hoskins-Tardibone said. “She is always a leader, and she does so much here at school as well as volunteering in the community.”

It is her work outside the classroom that earned her the honor.

Since she was a freshman, Edwards has been volunteering at Matthew House and has also been a volunteer for the Y-Pals program, which helps to mentor young children. Along with her school work and volunteer activities, Edwards also balances an after-school job.

Edwards said that she enjoys staying busy, but especially relishes in knowing that she makes a contribution to the lives of others.

“I've just always enjoyed volunteering,” Edwards said. “I like working with children in the Y-Pals, and I like being able to help at Matthew House. My parents have definitely been role models for me, but volunteering is just something that I have always enjoyed doing.”

Liz Latanyshyn, a senior at Tyburn Academy, and Valeria Lynn, a senior at Auburn High School, shared the runner-up position, each receiving $250 for their college education.

Latanyshyn was nominated by school counselor Jacqelyn Komanecky.

“Elizabeth is an outstanding student,” Komanecky said. “She is also very involved with her church with things like Bible Study, and she is always involved in bake sales and clothing drives. She is very dedicated.”

Latanyshyn, who will be attending the Culinary Institute of America in the fall, said that the recognition was truly an honor. Like Edwards, Latanyshyn is a strong student, a member of National Honor Society, and a committed individual outside the classroom. Among her numerous volunteer efforts are activities such as work at her school and church, Holy Family, with efforts like clothing and food drives, as well as efforts such as St. Luke's Mission and St. Pauly's Mission.

“St. Luke's I have been doing for four years,” Latanyshyn said. #&It is in Buffalo and it helps people have food for Thanksgiving. St Pauly's is something we do three times a year at Tyburn that helps collect clothes and things for people, and I've been doing that for four years. I've just always liked to be involved, and I hope to stay involved with the groups I am working with now as I get older.“

Lynn, who will be attending Genseo, was nominated by school counselor Kelly Benzing.

Benzing said that Lynn is a dedicated student with a fourth-place ranking in her class, also earning her a place in National Honor Society.

Lynn gives back to her school and her community working with efforts like Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) and the Cayuga County Health Department.

“She does a lot of work with SADD and with our character development program,” Benzig said. “She is really an outstanding student and individual.”

Lynn said that she was drawn to the ideals of groups like SADD early on and that her work with organizations like the county health department has been an extension of those ideals.

“Volunteering with places like the county health department we are doing things to help promote healthier lives for people,” Lynn said. “I like to be out there and be involved and to help people by actually doing something to help them.”

Jim Courtney was recognized for his outstanding service to youth.

Annette Abdelaziz, executive director of the Auburn Education Foundation, nominated Courtney based on his work serving on the board of the Auburn Education Foundation and his volunteer work with organizations like Cayuga County Youth Organization (CCYO) sports.

“I was thinking about an adult that has really worked with youth,” Abdelaziz began, “and I thought of Jim. Jim was director of the Y, but even since he has retired, he is still very active and very dedicated to working with youth.”

Courtney has dedicated much of his personal and professional life to working with children.

“This is how I started out,” Courtney said. He took a more active role after his son way born by coaching CCYO basketball, which he still does to this day, as well as other youth sports.

$250 will be contributed on Courtney's behalf to a not for profit youth organization, which has yet to be determined.

“I'm really quite honored,” Courtney said. “This is something I love to do, working with kids. I try to help youth get pointed in the right direction, and sports is a way I can do that. To be honored for that, something I love to do, is really a great honor.”