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Caring Hall of Fame Inducts 13
JOE CAREY
Associated Press
WASHINGTON - Kayt and Maggie Norris were community activists at ages when just spelling `community activists' could be too much for many kids.
Before they were old enough for school, they volunteered for cleanup efforts in their hometown of Quincy, Ill., helped deliver Meals on Wheels and raised money for charities.
By the time they were 7 and 9, the girls were ready to expand their activism and founded Helping Hands, to encourage young people to involve themselves in community projects. It keeps a database of young volunteers who can be drafted by local churches and charitable organizations into their campaigns.
Kayt, now 18 and a Tufts University freshman, and Maggie, who just turned 17, were among 13 people named to the Hall of Fame for Caring Americans on Monday for their dedication to social causes. Former Sen. Bob Dole, R-Kan., was the featured speaker.
Kayt said she especially enjoys seeing other young volunteers inspired by the sisters' work.
"That's the best part," she said. "For our group, we were in kind of in a unique position because we could see the effect we were having on the people we helped but also the effect we were having on the young people who volunteered."
Other inductees are:
_Gregory Smith, 13, of Keswick, Va. Already a high school graduate and working toward a master's degree in mathematics at the University of Virginia, Gregory was honored for his peace efforts. He is founder of International Youth Advocates and was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 and 2003.
_Anthony Leanna, 12, of Suamico, Wis. He was inspired to create Heavenly Hats, an organization that collects and distributes hats to cancer patients, after watching his grandmother lose her hair from cancer treatments.
_Makenzie Snyder, 12, of Bowie, Md., founded a project called Children to Children that collects and distributes duffel bags for foster children. A stuffed animal and a book is stuffed into each bag along with a letter that reads: "God told me that you could use a duffel bag, a book and a cuddly friend, so I send these to you with love." She said she got the idea after she befriended two foster children who carried their belongings from home to home in garbage bags. Makenzie's organization has distributed more than 28,000 duffel bags.
_Dr. William Austin of Eden Prairie, Minn., for distributing free hearing aids to thousands of people worldwide.
_Dr. Gloria Johnson-Rodgers of Columbus, Ga., for feeding about a million people in Nigeria last year through Operation Feed Worldwide. She also was recognized for her work providing health care, housing and food to the poor in her community.
_Betty Tisdale of Bellevue, Wash., known as the "Angel of Saigon" for arranging the evacuation of 219 Vietnamese babies to the United States near the end of the Vietnam War.
_Jerry Lee of Philadelphia, Pa., for his work to bring attention to a number of social problems as a member of the National Association of Broadcasting.
_Retired Vice Adm. William P. Lawrence of Crownsville, Md., for his leadership as the highest-ranking member of the armed forces to become a prisoner of war in Vietnam. Lawrence was credited with maintaining morale among his fellow captives at the "Hanoi Hilton," where he was detained for more than six years.
_Steven and Michele Kirsch of Los Altos Hills, Calif., for their philanthropy through the Kirsch Foundation, which helps finance cancer research, environmental issues and education.
_Rep. Tom Osborne, R-Neb., for his mentoring program TeamMates, which pairs Nebraska schoolchildren with college students. Osborne is former football coach at the University of Nebraska.
_Johnson & Johnson was the first corporation inducted. It was honored for various philanthropic efforts.
The nonprofit, Washington-based Hall of Fame for Caring Americans was founded by Val Halamandaris, who was inspired by Mother Teresa of Calcutta. It inducted it first class of honorees in 1989.
Each child or teenager inducted receives a $2000 scholarship. | 
