BOONVILLE — Jade Mason and Kyle Swiecki, students at Adirondack Central School, were presented with the Larry Reyes Community Service Award from the Kenmax Foundation and a $125 scholarship based on their involvement and commitment to their community. The Larry Reyes Community Service Award is in honor of Nicholas E. Byrnes’ late friend, Larry Reyes, who worked as a drug and alcohol counselor and who was an active member of his community.
Jade is an active member of the school’s sports teams, having played on the varsity volleyball team and swam on the varsity swim team for three years. She also played on a traveling volleyball team and has received numerous awards for her athletic ability ,such as the coach’s award for swim, the scholar athlete award and two all star awards for both swim and volleyball. Jade is actively involved in school as she is a member of the National Honor Society, the math honor society and the Spanish Club. Jade has spent her time tutoring children in math, serving dinners at her local church, volunteering at the animal shelter, collecting donations for garage sales and more. She also works at the Kayuta Drive-Inn Restaurant in the summers.
Jade will be attending the State University of New York at Delhi in the fall to pursue a degree in veterinary technology.
Kyle is a scholar athlete in three sports, captain of his soccer team and league champion of his track team. He also recently broke the ACS long jump record. He is very involved with school functions, including variety club, chorus, senior class, the Student Association and the National Honor Society. Kyle volunteers his time in the community, helping out with the Boilermaker Road Race, the Wounded Warrior Project, the bloodmobile and Varsity Club, to name a few. During the summer months, he works at Enchanted Forest Water Safari.
Kyle plans to attend Utica College this fall to obtain a degree in physical therapy.
The Kenmax Foundation was formed about a decade ago by Mr. Byrne, a retired New Jersey teacher, past Lewis County legislator and environmentalist and columnist, to address issues like homelessness, poverty, social injustice and pollution and to encourage civic participation. It was named for the first letters of the names of his family members: daughter Katherine, wife Erica, son Nick Jr., son Mike, daughter Allyn and son Xavier