Youth Awarded the Summit For Kids Honor

Original Article Appeared in the Akron Beacon Journal - AUG 2016

The first winner of the newly named award went to Maria Paparella, 18, of Akron. who founded a nonprofit that provides furnishings and other household items to young men and women as they age out of the foster care system.

The Summit for Kids is closely associated with late county executive Russ Pry who helped found the popular family expo seven years ago.

On Friday, organizers made sure he will forever remain connected to the event by renaming the annual youth award the Summit for Kids Russ Pry youth award.

Russ was certainly a champion for kids in this community,’ county children services Executive Director Julie Barnes said at the Summit for Kids Breakfast when announcing the new name of the award.

The breakfast was held at the John S. Knight Center in downtown Akron, where the seventh annual Summit for Kids runs 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.

Pry passed away July 31 from complications from colon cancer.

The first winner of the newly named award went to Maria Paparella, 18, of Akron. who founded a nonprofit that provides furnishings and other household items to young men and women as they age out of the foster care system.

She started Chair-ity in October 2014 when she was a sophomore at Western Reserve Academy and has worked with Children Services, determined to help an overlooked portion of the population.

Chair-ity has been able to raise more than $15,000