LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION commending Christopher Yao, of Jericho, New York,
upon the occasion of his designation as a State Honoree in the 17th
Annual Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to act, in accord with
its long-standing traditions, honoring the youth of today, and leaders
of tomorrow, whose character and achievements exemplify the ideals and
values cherished by this great State and nation; and
WHEREAS, Christopher Yao has distinguished himself as a young man of
superlative ability, establishing a high standard of community service,
purposefulness of life, and sense of responsibility rarely achieved in
youthful years; and
WHEREAS, Christopher Yao, age 15, of Jericho, New York, and a sopho-
more at Jericho High School, has achieved national recognition for exem-
plary volunteer service by being named a 2012 Prudential Spirit of
Community State Honoree; he was nominated for this high honor by Jericho
High School; and
WHEREAS, The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, created in 1995 by
Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of
Secondary School Principals (NASSP), are designed to emphasize the
importance our nation places on service to others, and to encourage all
young Americans to contribute to their communities; and
WHEREAS, As one of only two New York State Honorees, Christopher Yao
will receive a monetary award, an engraved silver medallion, and a trip
to Washington, D.C., May 5-8, 2012, for a series of national recognition
events; and
WHEREAS, Christopher Yao developed an annual "read-a-thon" which has
paid for 60 cleft-lip surgeries in developing countries; he then created
a nonprofit organization which has established a center for orphans in
Kenya, provided educational materials to students around the world, and
helped other young people start their own charitable fundraising
programs; and
WHEREAS, Christopher Yao was diagnosed with a jaw-bite problem in
sixth grade, and as a result, discovered that others had much more
difficult dental challenges than he did; he knows how it feels to go
through tough situations and wanted to help others with conditions that
were much worse than his; and
WHEREAS, So in 2007, Christopher Yao began going to schools and
libraries each year to encourage kids to find donors who would sponsor
them in a "read-a-thon" and raise money to fund cleft surgeries for
children around the world through the Smile Train organization; and
WHEREAS, In October 2011, Christopher Yao's initiative paid for its
60th operation and also sponsored student trips overseas to witness
Smile Train's work; and
WHEREAS, Seeing the power of how young people can change lives, Chris-
topher Yao founded a nonprofit organization, "Kids Change the World,"
which has partnered with other sponsors and citizens in Kenya to estab-
lish an education and care center for children affected by post-election
violence; his organization also provides free educational videos and
other materials to students through a website and offers support for
young people who want to launch their own charitable initiatives in
their communities; and
WHEREAS, The success of the State of New York, the strength of our
communities, and the vitality of American society depend, in great meas-
ure, upon the dedication of young people like Christopher Yao who use
their considerable talents and resources to serve others; and

WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is moved to honor Christopher Yao,
commending him for his outstanding record of volunteer service, peer
leadership, and community service and recognizing the value of his
labors and the promise of his future; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations with
praise and pride to commend Christopher Yao for his achievements and to
extend to him the best wishes of this Legislative Body for a future of
purposeful success and well-being, fully confident of his response to
the challenges of a promising future and appreciative of the model he
represents for all young people of the Empire State; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Christopher Yao.