2023 Awareness Event & Champion Awards
The Council for Youths with Chronic Conditions held its 2023 Annual Kids Chronic Health Awareness Event at the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center in Concord NH on Thursday, July 13th. We celebrated six Champion Award winners who demonstrate compassion and leadership within their communities. The PhotoVoice Project exhibit was on display.
We shared the stories of the Champion Winners with the attendees, and a Proclamation from Governor Sununu’s office was announced for July 10th as Chronic Disease Day. A slideshow highlighted some of our work from the past year.
Outreach & Community Collaboration
The CYCC participated in Bipartisan Disability Caucus legislative meet and greet, educating legislators about how policy can impact the lives of youths with chronic conditions. The Council presented and had an information table at the 2023 Family Support Conference. We also provided grant scholarships for NH summer camps including Camp Allen, Zebra Crossings, and multiple YMCA camps, with the objective of increasing camp inclusion for children with chronic health conditions.
Audrey Gerkin Leadership Award
The Council established the Audrey Gerkin Leadership Award. This award acknowledges the Leadership that Audrey has brought to the Council by sponsoring members of the CYCC who want to complete the NH Leadership Series. 2023 recipients of this award were Council members Karin Mortimer and Kristin Bonny.
Council Director Search
The CYCC Executive Council finished 2023 with an extensive Council Director search process, ultimately hiring former Council Member Leah Stagnone to fill the role.