Do Something Awards on VH1 hosted by Jane Lynch
2011 Do Something Awards Finalists and Semi-Finalists
Here are the 5 young people who have the chance to win the $100,000 grand prize at this year's Do Something Awards.
Taryn Guerrero Davis, 25
Buda, TX
The American Widow Project
When she was just 21, Taryn received devastating news: Her husband, Corporal Michael Davis, had been killed in Iraq. While her family provided emotional support, she still felt lost and alone. When her Google search for “widow” turned up the result: “Do you mean window?” she knew she had to take action. Taryn created The American Widow Project to provide resources to the 3,000+ other women around the country whose husbands have died in Iraq and Afghanistan. This national movement has served and united over 700 widows so far, using peer-to-peer retreats, counseling, and virtual tools.
Read our in-depth interview with Taryn now!
David Schwartz, 25
Providence, RI
The Real Food ChallengeDavid grew up in a low-income neighborhood where the school food was so bad that he and his friends would often go all day without eating and spend whatever little money they had on fast food after the last bell rang. When his family later moved to a nearby affluent suburb, he was shocked by the disparities between his two communities—how access to healthy foods in the inner city was so devastatingly low, and the diabetes rates so high. David created The Real Food Challenge to shift $1 billion of college food purchases toward local, sustainable, humane and fair trade sources by 2020. To date, over 35,000 students have taken part, and David and his team have trained over 1,700 student leaders at over 300 schools, all working together to build a healthy, fair, and green food economy.
Read our in-depth interview with David now!
Sarah Cronk, 18
Bettendorf, IA
The Sparkle EffectSarah watched her older brother Charlie struggle to fit in during high school because of his disabilities. He was depressed and anxious, until the captain of the swim team invited him to join. Suddenly, the cool kids welcomed him, and he found a new group of friends. Inspired by Charlie, Sarah co-founded the first high school-based inclusive cheerleading squad in the nation. Today, The Sparkle Effect has generated 26 squads in 15 states and South Africa, encouraging a culture of acceptance in every community.
Read our in-depth interview with Sarah now!
Mark Kabban, 23
San Diego, CA
YALLA (Youth And Leaders Living Actively)Mark is familiar with the linguistic, financial, and educational struggles that immigrants face because of his own family’s experience coming to the United States from war-torn Lebanon. He realized the power of sports and education after earning a college athletic scholarship, and established YALLA to empower immigrant families and their children, using soccer and art to help them develop the knowledge and confidence to pursue their goals. In 2010 YALLA provided over 150 refugee children with soccer scholarships, in addition to offering tutoring programs and community service opportunities, providing a full-rounded holistic program for refugee youth and their families.
Read our in-depth interview with Mark now!
Adam Lowy, 25
Neptune, NJ
Move for HungerAdam’s great-grandfather started a moving company over 90 years ago, and in working with his family, Adam has seen firsthand the amount of food that people throw away when they move. He recognized the potential of this wasted food and founded Move for Hunger, which works with moving companies to strengthen our nation’s food banks. Move for Hunger currently works with 130 moving companies across 32 states and has collected 150,000 pounds of food for food banks.
Read our in-depth interview with Adam now!
Now that you've gotten to know the finalists, vote for the winner of the $100,000 grand prize!
Meet our 2011 Do Something Awards Semi-FinalistsThese guys and gals are amazing change-makers as well.
Tyler Spencer, 24
Washington, DC
The Grassroot ProjectAfter interning in South Africa with Grassroots Soccer (an HIV/AIDS education program), Tyler realized the need for programming in his own area of Washington, DC, where 1 in every 20 people is HIV-positive—an infection rate that’s nine times the national average. He founded The Grassroot Project, the first not-for-profit to use NCAA college athletes as HIV educators, using sports to empower local at-risk youth with the knowledge, skills, and support to live healthy lives. Thanks to Tyler, 227 college athletes have taught HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention programs to 3,000 students across DC.
Read our in-depth interview with Tyler now!
Seth Maxwell, 23
Los Angeles, CA
The Thirst ProjectSeth was a 19-year-old acting student in Los Angeles when a brief meeting with a friend who’d just returned from Africa changed the course of his life forever. Upon learning that almost one billion people lack access to clean water and that water-borne illnesses account for more than 80% of all global disease, he gave up acting to focus on water education. The Thirst Project is a movement of young people who are raising awareness of and bringing solutions to the global water crisis. Combining outreach and water well implementation, The Thirst Project has completed 392 freshwater development projects across the globe and reached 200,000 American students with its eye-opening educational programs.
Read our in-depth interview with Seth now!
Brandan Odums, 25
New Orleans, LA
2-CentBrandan grew up in a low-income neighborhood of New Orleans and lived through Hurricane Katrina. He is dedicated to improving the lives of underserved youth in his community, where high school dropout, teen pregnancy, murder and unemployment rates are overwhelmingly high. His organization 2-Cent produces webisodes and short documentaries that use humor and attitude to tackle serious topics like race, poverty, and sex. Their goal is to use this form of “edutainment” to educate and empower young people.
Read our in-depth interview with Brandan now!
Hammad Hammad, 25
Medford, MA
Inspire DreamsGrowing up in the West Bank, Hammad’s daily commute to school was punctuated by pedestrian check points which left him feeling subhuman, every single day. He moved to the U.S. at 16, but the plight of Palestinian refugees, particularly youth growing up in crowded camps void of hope and peace, stayed with him. He co-founded Inspire Dreams with an Iranian-American Jewish classmate and an Asian-American classmate in order to provide academic, athletic, and arts-based programs in these camps, where over 50% of the population is eighteen years old or younger. Through Camp “I Have a Dream,” English courses, and other workshops, over 1,000 young Palestinians have received resources to forge brighter futures for themselves. Said one camper of her experience, “Someone asked me what my dream was and showed me ways of making it true.”
Read our in-depth interview with Hammad now!
Brisa De Angulo, 25
Camden, NJ
Centro Una Brisa De Esperanza (CUBE)When Brisa was a young girl in Bolivia, an adult family member repeatedly raped her. After suffering in silence, she tried to take her case to court, only to be met with humiliation and blame. She co-founded CUBE (Centro Una Brisa De Esperanza) to provide child and adolescent victims of sexual abuse with the safe environment and educational and legal support she never had. Brisa and CUBE have trained over 34,500 people in sexual abuse awareness and prevention. Before CUBE, only 2% of all child sexual abuse cases that reached trial in Bolivia resulted in a conviction. Today, from the 670 cases that CUBE has taken to trial, 95% have resulted in a conviction.
Read our in-depth interview with Brisa now!
Josh Nesbit, 24
Washington, DC
Medic MobileIn 2007, Josh worked at a Malawian hospital that served 250,000 patients spread over 100 miles. Remote patients were reached by volunteer community health workers, who often had to walk 35 miles to report back to clinicians. Josh realized the potential of mobile technology to reach isolated patients and save follow-up time and travel fuel. He founded Medic Mobile to connect people at every level of the health system—from policymakers to clinics to community health workers. Today, his programs have been implemented at hospitals in nine countries, including 50% of Malawian district hospitals.
Read our in-depth interview with Josh now!
Sarah Geller, 24
San Francisco, CA
Arts Education InternationalDuring college, Sarah traveled to Trinidad and began teaching music to children who had either been abandoned by their drug-abusing parents or orphaned by the AIDS epidemic—all had been exploited, neglected, and abused. Sarah was amazed at the dramatic change in her students’ behavior when given the tools to express themselves through the arts. Inspired to reach more children, she started Arts Education International, which provides art therapy programs for children orphaned by AIDS in Ghana and children who were child soldiers in Sierra Leone through immersive, sustainable and community-based arts programs. AEI currently employs 50 artists—most of whom are AEI graduates—to teach indigenous art to over 700 children in Ghana and Sierra Leone.
Read our in-depth interview with Sarah now!
Jackie Rotman, 19
Santa Barbara, CA
Everybody Dance Now! (EDN!)Inspired in equal parts by her own dancing experience and the threats of gang activity, obesity, and low self-esteem in her area, Jackie founded Everybody Dance Now! to provide free dance programs to youth who could not otherwise afford them. Since 2005, EDN! has provided free hip-hop classes to more than 1,000 young people in her county, as well as equipped youth in eleven other cities throughout the country to create and sustain their own EDN! programs. Jackie’s organization seeks to transform the lives of youth through dance, leadership, and community.
Read our in-depth interview with Jackie now!
THE HISTORY:The Do Something Awards have grown steadily since 2007, being seen on both The CW and as a part of the 2008-9 Teen Choice Awards. Celebrity presenters & participants have included hot acts like Scarlett Johansson, Usher, Lauren Conrad, Nick Cannon, Akon, and more.
In 2010, the Do Something Awards reached new heights, airing LIVE from Los Angeles on Vh1. Hosted by GLEE's Jane Lynch, the high-energy mix of pop culture & activism featured performances by Travie McCoy & Bruno Mars, Lifehouse, Natasha Beddingfield, and Jane herself. In addition to our signature award, the show honored celebs like the Jonas Brothers, Kathy Griffin, Kellan Lutz, and Snoop Dogg for their dedication to doing good. Megan Fox was even on-hand to introduce one of our 5 'Do Something Award' nominees. Check out the 2010 Do Something Award Winners here.
Continuing our partnership with Vh1, this year is sure to be even bigger & better than the last. Be a part of the magic that is the 2011 Do Something Awards!
Here are the 5 young people who have the chance to win the $100,000 grand prize at this year's Do Something Awards.
Taryn Guerrero Davis, 25
Buda, TX
The American Widow Project
When she was just 21, Taryn received devastating news: Her husband, Corporal Michael Davis, had been killed in Iraq. While her family provided emotional support, she still felt lost and alone. When her Google search for “widow” turned up the result: “Do you mean window?” she knew she had to take action. Taryn created The American Widow Project to provide resources to the 3,000+ other women around the country whose husbands have died in Iraq and Afghanistan. This national movement has served and united over 700 widows so far, using peer-to-peer retreats, counseling, and virtual tools.
Read our in-depth interview with Taryn now!
David Schwartz, 25
Providence, RI
The Real Food ChallengeDavid grew up in a low-income neighborhood where the school food was so bad that he and his friends would often go all day without eating and spend whatever little money they had on fast food after the last bell rang. When his family later moved to a nearby affluent suburb, he was shocked by the disparities between his two communities—how access to healthy foods in the inner city was so devastatingly low, and the diabetes rates so high. David created The Real Food Challenge to shift $1 billion of college food purchases toward local, sustainable, humane and fair trade sources by 2020. To date, over 35,000 students have taken part, and David and his team have trained over 1,700 student leaders at over 300 schools, all working together to build a healthy, fair, and green food economy.
Read our in-depth interview with David now!
Sarah Cronk, 18
Bettendorf, IA
The Sparkle EffectSarah watched her older brother Charlie struggle to fit in during high school because of his disabilities. He was depressed and anxious, until the captain of the swim team invited him to join. Suddenly, the cool kids welcomed him, and he found a new group of friends. Inspired by Charlie, Sarah co-founded the first high school-based inclusive cheerleading squad in the nation. Today, The Sparkle Effect has generated 26 squads in 15 states and South Africa, encouraging a culture of acceptance in every community.
Read our in-depth interview with Sarah now!
Mark Kabban, 23
San Diego, CA
YALLA (Youth And Leaders Living Actively)Mark is familiar with the linguistic, financial, and educational struggles that immigrants face because of his own family’s experience coming to the United States from war-torn Lebanon. He realized the power of sports and education after earning a college athletic scholarship, and established YALLA to empower immigrant families and their children, using soccer and art to help them develop the knowledge and confidence to pursue their goals. In 2010 YALLA provided over 150 refugee children with soccer scholarships, in addition to offering tutoring programs and community service opportunities, providing a full-rounded holistic program for refugee youth and their families.
Read our in-depth interview with Mark now!
Adam Lowy, 25
Neptune, NJ
Move for HungerAdam’s great-grandfather started a moving company over 90 years ago, and in working with his family, Adam has seen firsthand the amount of food that people throw away when they move. He recognized the potential of this wasted food and founded Move for Hunger, which works with moving companies to strengthen our nation’s food banks. Move for Hunger currently works with 130 moving companies across 32 states and has collected 150,000 pounds of food for food banks.
Read our in-depth interview with Adam now!
Now that you've gotten to know the finalists, vote for the winner of the $100,000 grand prize!
Meet our 2011 Do Something Awards Semi-FinalistsThese guys and gals are amazing change-makers as well.
Tyler Spencer, 24
Washington, DC
The Grassroot ProjectAfter interning in South Africa with Grassroots Soccer (an HIV/AIDS education program), Tyler realized the need for programming in his own area of Washington, DC, where 1 in every 20 people is HIV-positive—an infection rate that’s nine times the national average. He founded The Grassroot Project, the first not-for-profit to use NCAA college athletes as HIV educators, using sports to empower local at-risk youth with the knowledge, skills, and support to live healthy lives. Thanks to Tyler, 227 college athletes have taught HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention programs to 3,000 students across DC.
Read our in-depth interview with Tyler now!
Seth Maxwell, 23
Los Angeles, CA
The Thirst ProjectSeth was a 19-year-old acting student in Los Angeles when a brief meeting with a friend who’d just returned from Africa changed the course of his life forever. Upon learning that almost one billion people lack access to clean water and that water-borne illnesses account for more than 80% of all global disease, he gave up acting to focus on water education. The Thirst Project is a movement of young people who are raising awareness of and bringing solutions to the global water crisis. Combining outreach and water well implementation, The Thirst Project has completed 392 freshwater development projects across the globe and reached 200,000 American students with its eye-opening educational programs.
Read our in-depth interview with Seth now!
Brandan Odums, 25
New Orleans, LA
2-CentBrandan grew up in a low-income neighborhood of New Orleans and lived through Hurricane Katrina. He is dedicated to improving the lives of underserved youth in his community, where high school dropout, teen pregnancy, murder and unemployment rates are overwhelmingly high. His organization 2-Cent produces webisodes and short documentaries that use humor and attitude to tackle serious topics like race, poverty, and sex. Their goal is to use this form of “edutainment” to educate and empower young people.
Read our in-depth interview with Brandan now!
Hammad Hammad, 25
Medford, MA
Inspire DreamsGrowing up in the West Bank, Hammad’s daily commute to school was punctuated by pedestrian check points which left him feeling subhuman, every single day. He moved to the U.S. at 16, but the plight of Palestinian refugees, particularly youth growing up in crowded camps void of hope and peace, stayed with him. He co-founded Inspire Dreams with an Iranian-American Jewish classmate and an Asian-American classmate in order to provide academic, athletic, and arts-based programs in these camps, where over 50% of the population is eighteen years old or younger. Through Camp “I Have a Dream,” English courses, and other workshops, over 1,000 young Palestinians have received resources to forge brighter futures for themselves. Said one camper of her experience, “Someone asked me what my dream was and showed me ways of making it true.”
Read our in-depth interview with Hammad now!
Brisa De Angulo, 25
Camden, NJ
Centro Una Brisa De Esperanza (CUBE)When Brisa was a young girl in Bolivia, an adult family member repeatedly raped her. After suffering in silence, she tried to take her case to court, only to be met with humiliation and blame. She co-founded CUBE (Centro Una Brisa De Esperanza) to provide child and adolescent victims of sexual abuse with the safe environment and educational and legal support she never had. Brisa and CUBE have trained over 34,500 people in sexual abuse awareness and prevention. Before CUBE, only 2% of all child sexual abuse cases that reached trial in Bolivia resulted in a conviction. Today, from the 670 cases that CUBE has taken to trial, 95% have resulted in a conviction.
Read our in-depth interview with Brisa now!
Josh Nesbit, 24
Washington, DC
Medic MobileIn 2007, Josh worked at a Malawian hospital that served 250,000 patients spread over 100 miles. Remote patients were reached by volunteer community health workers, who often had to walk 35 miles to report back to clinicians. Josh realized the potential of mobile technology to reach isolated patients and save follow-up time and travel fuel. He founded Medic Mobile to connect people at every level of the health system—from policymakers to clinics to community health workers. Today, his programs have been implemented at hospitals in nine countries, including 50% of Malawian district hospitals.
Read our in-depth interview with Josh now!
Sarah Geller, 24
San Francisco, CA
Arts Education InternationalDuring college, Sarah traveled to Trinidad and began teaching music to children who had either been abandoned by their drug-abusing parents or orphaned by the AIDS epidemic—all had been exploited, neglected, and abused. Sarah was amazed at the dramatic change in her students’ behavior when given the tools to express themselves through the arts. Inspired to reach more children, she started Arts Education International, which provides art therapy programs for children orphaned by AIDS in Ghana and children who were child soldiers in Sierra Leone through immersive, sustainable and community-based arts programs. AEI currently employs 50 artists—most of whom are AEI graduates—to teach indigenous art to over 700 children in Ghana and Sierra Leone.
Read our in-depth interview with Sarah now!
Jackie Rotman, 19
Santa Barbara, CA
Everybody Dance Now! (EDN!)Inspired in equal parts by her own dancing experience and the threats of gang activity, obesity, and low self-esteem in her area, Jackie founded Everybody Dance Now! to provide free dance programs to youth who could not otherwise afford them. Since 2005, EDN! has provided free hip-hop classes to more than 1,000 young people in her county, as well as equipped youth in eleven other cities throughout the country to create and sustain their own EDN! programs. Jackie’s organization seeks to transform the lives of youth through dance, leadership, and community.
Read our in-depth interview with Jackie now!
THE HISTORY:The Do Something Awards have grown steadily since 2007, being seen on both The CW and as a part of the 2008-9 Teen Choice Awards. Celebrity presenters & participants have included hot acts like Scarlett Johansson, Usher, Lauren Conrad, Nick Cannon, Akon, and more.
In 2010, the Do Something Awards reached new heights, airing LIVE from Los Angeles on Vh1. Hosted by GLEE's Jane Lynch, the high-energy mix of pop culture & activism featured performances by Travie McCoy & Bruno Mars, Lifehouse, Natasha Beddingfield, and Jane herself. In addition to our signature award, the show honored celebs like the Jonas Brothers, Kathy Griffin, Kellan Lutz, and Snoop Dogg for their dedication to doing good. Megan Fox was even on-hand to introduce one of our 5 'Do Something Award' nominees. Check out the 2010 Do Something Award Winners here.
Continuing our partnership with Vh1, this year is sure to be even bigger & better than the last. Be a part of the magic that is the 2011 Do Something Awards!