North Dundas youth to receive Ontario Junior Citizen of the Year award

Nationview Public School student Tyson Sherrer will travel to Niagara Falls this spring to accept a 2010 Ontario Junior Citizen of the Year Award.

PHOTO CREDIT - Upper Canada District School Board

South Mountain - Feb. 8, 2011 - A North Dundas youth who has made a point of giving back to his community will now get something in return.

Tyson Sherrer, a student at Nationview Public School in South Mountain, has been named one of 12 youth from across the province to receive a 2010 Ontario Junior Citizen of the Year Award.

The Grade 7 student was one of 107 students from Ontario to be nominated for the award. Sherrer and his family will travel to Niagara Falls in the spring to receive the award from the Ontario Community Newspapers Association.

For the past two years, Sherrer has organized ball hockey tournaments in his community to raise money for the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario(CHEO). To date, he has raised $16,000 for the hospital.

The young philanthropist choses to help CHEO because of all the hospital has done for him over the years. Sherrer was born with a skin condition called Congenital Melanocytic Nevi syndrome, and has had multiple surgeries at the hospital to remove moles from his skin that are prone to cancer.

"After what (CHEO) has done for me and after having all those surgeries I thought I might as well give back and help some kid that might not have a cure," said Sherrer of his motivation to help others. "Maybe I can make his life better."

Nationview Principal Laurie McElheran says the entire community is proud of Sherrer for his efforts.

"Tyson is a role model for all of our students and exemplifies the moral character of the Upper Canada District School Board," she added.