The Haddonfield Area Lions Club has named Haddonfield Memorial High School (HMHS) student Madeleine (Maddie) Cush as the William Hansen Youth of the Year for her extraordinary work as a volunteer. The Club will give certificates of honor and recognition and monetary prizes to three other outstanding volunteers who were nominated. They are HMHS students Julia Hart, Matthew Leming, and Owen Breen.
The award was named after William Hansen, who was an active member of the Haddonfield Area Lions Club and a dedicated community volunteer for decades. Mr. Hansen helped people up until his death in 2020 at the age of 102. His grandson, Kevin Burns, serves on the Youth of the Year Committee.
“It was extremely difficult to pick winners this year because every nominee we received was a kind, intelligent and caring student who had put a lot of time and energy into helping others,” said Deb Nussbaum, Co-Chair with Lion Ellen Ragone of the Committee. Madeleine is President of the HMHS Leo Club and has organized numerous activities to raise money and help people in the community while providing volunteer opportunities for more than 300 Leos in the school, according to Maggie Gammie, HMHS teacher and the Leo advisor. “Maddie has been invaluable in all of our projects,” Ms. Gammie said.
The students will be honored at the Mayor’s Breakfast on Saturday, March 19, 2022 at the First Presbyterian Church in Haddonfield.