by Jeff Colbourne
Northern News Services

NNSL (Mar 11/98) - It's a night of awards dedicated to community-minded youth.

The Yellowknife Youth Leadership Awards banquet has been scheduled for May 19 to highlight the contributions of young people to the city and acknowledge businesses and agencies that support them.

"I think it's really important because so much bad stuff is in the papers and on the radios about youth and there's a lot of good youth out there," said Tamara Stard of Sir John Franklin Students Against Drinking and Driving.

"We need to thank them and thank the community for helping them do their stuff."

"I think it's important because most of the awards are within the schools and the community gets to see them recognized," said Melissa Fletcher, secretary of the St. Patrick high school student council.

The youth leadership committee was set up last fall after members of the two schools attended a city council meeting discussing youth crime and the possibility of a youth curfew.

"In the meeting there was quite a bit of negative talk about youth and youth violence and we felt coming out of that we needed some way to showcase positive youth action in Yellowknife because we felt that what was being seen was the negative," said Michele Thoms, another member of the leadership committee.

Among the suggestions to arise from discussions was the Yellowknife Youth Awards Banquet.

Student unions from both schools, the Volunteer Core and the Side Door came together and formed a group, which is planning the banquet.

To prepare for May's banquet, the group is distributing nomination forms and encouraging the public to bring forward potential candidates for awards.

In total there are 12 awards, including one for Sports Leadership, a Youth Employee Award, Community Service Award and a Youth of the Year award chosen from all nominations received.

"My only concern is that people won't get the nominations in. There's too many times you hear people going, 'Well, somebody else will nominate them. They will be nominated because they're so visible,' and then they won't get around to putting in their nomination," said Thoms.

The committee is choosing the top three nominees in each category and announcing the winners at the banquet.

"It's important that these kids get the recognition they deserve. Unless people forward those nominations, the kids aren't going to nominate themselves," said Thom.

When you nominate someone "focus on the positive," said Fletcher.

The deadline for nominations is April 7. Forms can be obtained at city schools.