National Award Given to Student Led Non-Profit

THE MIDTERM ELECTIONS. MAKE SURE YOU ARE STAYING UP TO DATE WITH ALL OF THE POLITICAL HAPPENINGS BY VISITING OUR WEBSITE. WGCU DOT ORG. WELL, BEING A HIGH SCHOOLER IS TOUGH BETWEEN ACADEMICS AND EXTRACURRICULARS FINDING TIME TO DO ANYTHING ELSE CAN BE A CHALLENGE. BUT ONE GROUP OF LOCAL HIGH SCHOOLERS IS MAKING TIME TO HELP FELLOW STUDENTS AND THE COMMUNITY. ONE CAN A VERY HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT FOUNDED THE NONPROFIT CALLED ATHLETES ACTIVATING CHAMPIONS AND EMPOWERMENT OR ACE IN 2025. ACE HAS NOW GROWN TO MORE THAN 40 VOLUNTEERS AND JUST WON A NATIONAL AWARD FOR HIS SERVICE TO OTHERS. AND JOINING ME NOW IN THE WGCU STUDIOS, FOUNDER OF ACE NOAH MOON AND AMBASSADOR VICELIA BROWN. BOTH CAN A VERY HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS. WELCOME TO OUR PROGRAM, KID FOR US. NEW STARTED THIS. WHEN YOU WERE 15 YEARS OLD, THAT'S SO IMPRESSIVE TO YOU. WHAT WAS BEHIND IN MOTIVATED YOU TO CREATE THE STOP PROFIT. >> SO WHAT MOTIVATED ME WAS SEEING KIDS THAT ARE UNDER PRIVILEGED AND THEN HAVE ALL THE RESOURCES THAT. I MEAN, WE HAVE TO SEE THAT. WE DID WAS JUST GO TO THEIR SCHOOLS AND HELP THEM BECOME BETTER PEOPLE. AND JUST HOW HAVE A TRUE ROLE MODEL FOR THEM. >> WHAT IS THE MISSION OF ACE? >> IT'S A MAKE CHILDREN FEEL LIKE THEY'RE VALUED. SO WE PARTNER WITH DOLLARS HOUSE TO NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION. AND SO WE'LL GO THERE. AND WHAT TO THE CHILDREN AND ALSO PLAY WITH THEM. AND A LOT OF THEM ARE EXPERIENCING DIFFICULT HOME LIVES. AND SO WHICH I'M FOSTER LIKE RELATIONSHIPS WITH THEM AND JUST LET THEM KNOW THAT WE'RE THERE FOR THEM. AND JUST TRY TO BE LIKE A SUPPORTIVE COMMUNITY FOR THEM. >> AND YOU'RE BOTH ATHLETES THAT YOU BOTH PLAY TENNIS. HOW YOU USE SPORTS AND ATHLETICS IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE AND ACCOMPLISH THE MISSION. >> WELL, FOR THE CHILDREN, WE ENCOURAGE THEM TO DO SPORT. WHO HAS SPORTS DOES BILL THAT COMMUNITY AND IT TEACHES THEM COMMUNICATION, COOPERATION, SKILLS THAT THEY MIGHT NOT NECESSARILY LEARN AT HOME. AND SO WE TRIED TO ENCOURAGE THEM TO DO THAT. SO THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, FEEL SUPPORTED DURING THOSE. AND I UNDERSTAND YOU WORK AT VALERIE'S HOUSE, A NEW TUTOR. CAN YOU GIVE ME AN EXAMPLE OF? >> OF THE IMPACT THAT YOU'VE HAD SO >> FOR THE IMPACT THAT THERE'S A HUGE IMPACT ON EVERY KID. BUT MOST MAKE THE MOST IMPACT THEY'VE SEEN WAS THIS GIRL WHO GOT WHO'S NOT DOING WELL IN SCHOOL BEFORE WE START HEARING ARE THINGS SHOULD THEY GET 65 OR SOMEWHERE AROUND THERE AND AFTER TEARING SHE HAD AN 87 AND SO HER AND HER DAUGHTER JUST LIKE VERY GRATEFUL FOR A SINGLE WE'VE DONE FOR THE AND THAT A HUGE IMPACT ON THEM. I WISH. >> YEAH. SHE HAD ALSO RECENTLY LOST HER MOTHER. SO STILL VERY DIFFICULT FOR HER. BUT WE ARE ABLE TO HELP HER GET HER MATH GRADE UP, WHICH NOAH SAID. >> AND HOW DOES THE TUTORING WORKER YOU? ARE YOU VOLUNTEERING YOUR TIME TO GO TO? THAT IS YES. SO WE HAVE A BUNCH OF VOLUNTEERS THAT IS ALL OF OUR FRIENDS. >> TEXT OF AND SITS ON SATURDAYS. SO WHERE CAN MAKE IT SHOWS UP? AND WE HAVE A GREAT CUT TO TO GO AND HELP. SO 3. >> VERY. AND THAT'S INCREDIBLE. I ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT YOU HELPED PROVIDE THANKSGIVING MEALS LAST YEAR. TELL ME ABOUT THAT. >> JUST SO FOR THANKSGIVING, WE WE NEED THAT BAT IS FOR THANKSGIVING FOR TAKES ON ENTRY. AND WE ALL I THINK I THINK IT'S 500 BAGS TOGETHER AND GIVEN TO THE KIDS IN EVERY CLASS AND THEIR ATTENDANCE IN SCHOOL WENT UP A LOT THAT DAY BECAUSE THEY KNOW THEIR SHIRTS COMING. FOOD FOR THEM FOR THANKSGIVING. SO THEY'RE VERY GRATEFUL. AND AND IT MADE THEM HAVE SOME THE E ON THANKSGIVING, WHICH IS GREAT. >> SO HOW ARE YOU ABLE TO COLLECT ALL THE DONATIONS? >> HOW DID YOU ACCOMPLISH THAT GOFUNDME? SO PEOPLE WOULD IN WE'D ALL SHIP INTO. >> I FEEL FOR THEM. YOU JUST ARE CONNECTIONS THAT CAN A BRIS. WELL. >> WE HAVE A VERY GOOD COMMUNITY THERE. SO IT'S BEEN VERY HELPFUL THAT THEY WERE ALSO ABLE TO DONATE. >> IT'S PRETTY REMARKABLE. IT'S SO REMARKABLE THAT YOUR NONPROFIT WAS THE SOLE 2026 WINNER OF A NATIONAL SERVICE AWARD. AND YOU'RE IN WASHINGTON, D.C., TO ACCEPT THE AWARD. WHAT WHAT DOES THIS MEAN TO YOU AND WHAT'S THE SIGNIFICANCE OF IT FOR THE NONPROFIT THAT YOU FOUND IT AT 15. >> IT WAS GRAY MADE A HUGE IMPACT BECAUSE REALLY IT WAS JUST KIND OF LOCAL AND PEOPLE AROUND FORT MYERS KNEW IT WAS THEN TO GET NATIONAL RECOGNITION WAS LIKE VERY EYE-OPENING. AND FOR ME TO SEE, I WAS LIKE WE HAD A HUGE IMPACT NOT ONLY IN OUR COMMUNITY BUT AROUND THE WORLD AROUND THE NATION AND YEAH, TOUCHED EVERYONE. >> THAT'S THAT'S PRETTY AMAZING. YOU ALSO HAVE PLANS TO EXPAND FROM CANTERBURY. >> TELL ME ABOUT THOSE GOALS. SO WE WANT TO EXPAND THE BISHOP FOR OWN OTHER SCHOOLS LOCALLY SO THAT WE'RE ABLE TO HAVE MORE OF AN IMPACT ON THOSE CHILDREN. AND HOPEFULLY MAYBE IN THE FUTURE WILL ALSO BE ABLE TO EXPAND TO OTHER COUNTIES OR REGIONS THREAT. AND IF SOMEONE WANTS TO >> PARTICIPATE, EITHER VOLUNTEER AND GET INVOLVED IN ANY WAY OR FIND OUT. HOW ARE THEY CAN'T GET THE HELP THAT THEY NEED AND WHAT SHOULD THEY DO? >> WE HAVEN'T SOCIAL MEDIA AND A WEBSITE IS TO EMPOWER AND SO THEY CAN GONE THERE AND THEY CAN CONTACT US OR ON THE SOCIAL MEDIA AS WELL. THEY'RE ABLE TO CONTACT THE STORE. THIS IS JUST AMAZING. I'M SO IMPRESSED. >> AND I APPRECIATE YOU BOTH TAKING TIME TO JOIN US IN STUDIO. YOU'RE GRADUATING YOUR BOAT HEADING OFF TO COLLEGE. TELL ME WHERE YOU'RE HEADING AND WHERE YOU'RE HEADING. >> WE'RE NOT SURE YET, BUT HOPEFULLY WAKE FOREST. YES. AND HOPEFULLY UNIVERSITY OF