Blair wins the Marriott Spirit to Serve Award

Blair has received the Marriott Spirit to Serve Award because of its Computer Give Away Program and other community service efforts.

As a recipient of the Marriott Spirit to Serve Award, Blair will receive $500 and a plaque donated by Marriott International in recognition of the Computer Give Away Program.

According to the PTSA Blair Recognition Committee Chair Emily van Loon, staff members Anne Wisniewski and Ishaq Osman and adult volunteer John White supervise the Computer Give Away program. The program rebuilds computers donated by individuals and agencies such as NIH and the Maryland state government, although the program is currently looking for more sources of internet-ready computers. The computers are given to students and their families who need them. Since the program began the project has given away 230 computers.

Blair students are also involved with the project providing volunteer time to rebuild the computers and meet with families to train them on using the equipment. Sponsor Anne Wisniewski described the program as "student-driven" rather than "student-directed." Although many students are involved in the program, Wisniewski emphasized the accomplishments of Blair alumni student Jesse Kovach and sophomore Aaron Johnson who originally began and organized the program.

The school, which was nominated by Carol Blythe from the Blair PTSA Recogntion Committee, will be honored at the Outstanding Volunteers of Montgomery County recognition ceremony on April 29th.

Loon wrote a special thanks to the Blair staff and students for a "job well done" in an email on the Blair PTSA mailing list announcing the awards.