Volunteer earns trip

WASILLA — A local 13-year-old is one of two Alaska youth volunteers in contention for the national 2012 The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards.

Keefer Brown will join 18-year-old Teressa Baldwin of Sitka as representatives from the 49th state for their outstanding acts of volunteerism. Both earned $1,000 awards, an engraved silver medallion and an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C., in May. There, they’ll join the other top two nominees from the other states and District of Columbia for several days of national recognition events. Ten of the 102 honorees will be named America’s top youth volunteers for 2012.

Keefer is a seventh-grader at Teeland Middle School who raised more than $3,500 to help rehabilitate sick and injured seals at the Alaska SeaLife Center in Seward. He made and sold candles with items he collected on the beach.

He first learned he could “adopt” an animal at the SeaLife Center for $50 while there on a school field trip in 2010.

Although his first goal was to raise $50, he ended up raising $1,300 that first summer.

The next summer, he sold candles, along with decorated picture frames, mirrors and wreaths and raised $2,300. The youth was also honored by the center and was allowed to name a baby seal.