Concord teen Bryson Foster to open nationally televised MDA telethon

Bryson Foster.
Photo courtesy quest.mda.org

Bryson Foster, who has been the 2012 and 2013 Muscular Dystrophy Association's National Goodwill Ambassador, will open the 48th annual MDA Show of Strength Telethon on Sunday.

The two-hour telethon begins 9 p.m. on ABC channels across the country (that's Channel 9 in Charlotte).

Bryson, 13, has Duchenne muscular dystrophy, which is characterized by muscle weakness in the hips, legs and shoulders. It involves a progressive degeneration of voluntary and cardiac muscles, which severely limits life spans, a release from the MDA said.

Bryson will  make several appearances throughout the show he'll co-host with Shawn Parr and introduce some of the show's biggest acts, including the Backstreet Boys and Austin Mahone.

As the MDA's National Goodwill Ambassador, the Concord native travels all over the country to speak to groups about MDA's research. Proceeds raised from Sunday's telethon will go toward MDA's mission of helping people affected by muscle diseases.

Area schools get scholarships for hosting blood drives

The Community Blood Center of the Carolinas has announced the high  schools to receive $500 scholarships for holding blood drives.

High school officials will each select a student who was involved in the blood drives to get the college scholarship.

To win the money, students had to hold at least two blood drives during the school year and collect at least 100 units.

Fifty schools in the Carolinas won the scholarship, and several were from the greater Charlotte region:

A.L. Brown High
Applied Technology Center
Bessemer City High
Central Academy of Technology & Arts
Cherryville High
Cox Mill High
East Gaston High (two scholarships)
Fred T. Foard High
Forestview High
Garinger High
Hopewell High
Hunter Huss High
Indian Land High
Lancaster High
Mallard Creek High
Myers Park High
Newton Conover High
North Gaston High
North Mecklenburg High
Phillip O. Berry Academy of Technology
Pine Lake Prep
Queen's Grant High
South Mecklenburg High
Union Academy
West Lincoln High
West Mecklenburg High
William Hough High

Charlottean named HBCU Female Student of the Year

This summer, Olivia Stinson, a junior at Winston-Salem State University, was named the Female Student of the Year at the Historically Black Colleges and Universities' third annual awards ceremony.

Nominees were considered for their academic achievement, leadership, integrity and community volunteer work.

Olivia, 20, is the founder and president of PEN (Peers Engaged and Networking) Pals Book Club and Support Group for Children of Incarcerated Parents. She's also the adviser to BE A Reader (BEAR) Book Club & Support Group.

Update on Providence Day bridge champion Allison Hunt

Allison, left, and her partner,
Asya, with their trophies.
Courtesy of the  NABC

Allison Hunt was on a winning streak last week at the Youth North American Bridge Championship in Atlanta.

Allison, a 17-year-old Providence Day student, and her bridge partner from Florida beat out 19 other teams -- from across the United States and China -- to become World Bridge Champions in their age division.

The girls also won the Baron Barclay Youth Pairs event, and were the first female pair to ever win. As winners, Allison and her partner, Asya Ladyzhensky, each received a trophy and a $1,000 college scholarship.

Young Achievers highlighted Allison the other week about her bridge skills and her love for the game.

The Youth North American Bridge Championship was started in 2005.

Calling all teens interested in radio broadcast

The Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, in partnership with WFAE and Carolina's School of Broadcasting, invites students ages 12-18 to apply for the second season of "Turn It Up: Teen Radio Program."

Students chosen will meet every Thursday from 4 to 6 p.m. for Sept. 7 through Dec. 19 with the goal of producing a 30-minute program each month. Students spend the first three Thursdays researching and interviewing, the the fourth creating the audio program.

Earlier this year for the first season, teens produced their audio at ImaginOn's studio, which has a sound booth and editing equipment.

To apply, visit www.libraryloft.org. Applications are due Aug. 12.

Cornelius Eagle Scout earns rank with Hinds' Feet Farm construction projects

Will Champion, a rising junior at Hough High, recently earned his Eagle Scout rank by designing and building three projects at Hinds' Feet Farm.

Hinds' Feet Farm is a nonprofit in Huntersville that serves people with brain injuries.

Will worked for almost 300 hours to build a handicap-accessible barn addition, a handicap-accessible craft table and three handicap-accessible benches. The barn addition is part of the farm's therapeutic horseback-riding facility. He completed the projects in memory of his friend, Howard Biggers IV.

Providence Day student is first women's pair youth bridge champion

Allison, left, and her partner, Asya,
with their trophies.
Courtesy of the  NABC

In the Youth North American Bridge Championship this weekend, Allison Hunt, a 17-year-old Providence Day student, and her bridge partner from Florida were the first pair of women to win the Baron Barclay Youth Pairs event.

Young Achievers highlighted Allison the other week about her bridge skills and her love for the game.

As winners, Allison and her partner, Asya Ladyzhensky, each received a trophy and a $1,000 college scholarship.

The Youth North American Bridge Championship was started in 2005.

Garinger student goes solo to get high school diploma

Kassandra Banegas and her family moved from Honduras to Charlotte while she was in high school, and though her family moved to Colorado during her senior year at Garinger High, she chose to live on her own and get her diploma here.

But she fell short one credit -- a U.S. history class -- to graduate with her peers in June. She passed the class this summer and will graduate with about 170 of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools high school students Monday morning at 9 a.m. in Bojangles Coliseum.

Kassandra will attend Central Piedmont Community College, where she has already been taking classes in an effort to increase her GPA. She said she'd like to attend a university in the future.

"It won't mean the same as graduating in June with all my friends, but I had to do what I had to do," Kassandra said of Monday's ceremony. "I want my family to be proud of me. I also want to be proud of myself when I receive my high school diploma."

High school broadcaster to be on TV Sunday

Carly Williams, who was featured in Young Achievers last year as an aspiring broadcast journalist, will be on a news segment this Sunday morning.

Photo courtesy Lori Williams.

The segments is for "Teen Kids News," a weekly show that airs nationally and was founded by Albert Primo, who created "Eyewitness News" for adults. It will air at 7 a.m. on WCCB.

Carly, a rising senior at Nation Ford High, filmed her news piece in New York. She interviewed John Bordynuik, who invented a machine that converts plastic to oil, and who's partnered with Crayola to create a marker-recycling program. Carly also spoke to Peter Ruggiero, Crayola's executive vice president of global operations, about the project.