Cole Faller met Luke Greenfield, who is autistic, when he was in third grade, at an after-school program designed to integrate students who have disabilities with peer mentors who do not.
Four years later with thousands of dollars raised to combat autism, Faller will head to Washington D.C. after being selected as New York’s top Middle Level Youth Volunteer in the Prudential Spirit Awards, a national program honoring young people for outstanding acts of volunteerism.
“You kids are exceptional and you give me so much hope because of the leadership that you’ve shown,” said Roslyn Board of Education president, Meryl Waxman Ben-Levy at the March 10 award presentation.
Faller, who is now in seventh grade at Roslyn Middle School, said that his friendship with Greenfield inspired him to do something that would both educate other kids about autism and raise money for autism-related causes.
Along with his twin brother, Jesse, and Luke’s sister Sophie, Faller started the annual ‘Go Long For Luke” flag football event to support young people with autism.
The event raised $5,000 in its first year.
It grew even bigger the following year earning Jesse and Cole a recognition from the New York Jets.
Last September, 147 children and hundreds of spectators participated in the event raising over $25,000
In total, the annual event has raised over $60,000 for kids with autism.
“This is just another piece to what a great community we all work for and we come to everyday,” Roslyn Middle School principal Craig Johnson said.
He said the students deserve a lot of credit going above and beyond to raise money for autism.
Prudential Financial in association with the National Association of Secondary School principals sponsor a middle level and high school students in each state for outstanding volunteer service.
Allyson Swidler, a Prudential Financial representative, presented Cole with an engraved silver medallion at the meeting.
He will also received $1,000 along with an all-expense paid trip in early May to Washington, D.C., where he will join the top two honorees from each of the other states and the District of Columbia for four days of national recognition events.
During the trip, 10 students will be named America’s top youth volunteers of 2016.
Swidler said her company hopes that by identifying young volunteers and holding them up as role models, others kids will be inspired to volunteer as well.
She said thousands of young people were considered for the event and only one middle level student and one high school in each state have been selected for the award.
“Cole has been singled out from all of the middle schools in New York for his outstanding service to his community,” Swidler said.
Cole also qualified for the President’s Volunteer Service Award, which recognizes Americans of all ages who have volunteered significant amounts of their time to serve their communities and their country.
He will be receiving a President’s Volunteer Service Award certificate and a letter from President Barack Obama.
The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, now in its 21st year, is conducted by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals.
