WATERBORO — Every year, the United Way of York County and Kennebunk Savings Bank Foundation team up to name the winner of the Youth Spirit of Service Award.

“We look for unsung heroes,” said United Way of York County’s spokeswoman, Cindy Richards.

The agency seeks nominations, and a committee of folks from the agency and the bank foundation get together to determine a winner of the award, which is designed to highlight the efforts of volunteers.

“Its usually someone with a high level of commitment to volunteering,” said Richards.

This year’s winner is Massabesic High School sophomore Molly O’Brien, a 15”“year”“old who always seems to be busy.

She’s been a member of the Naval Junior ROTC program for a couple of years and cheerfully admits that, when volunteer opportunities arise with that program, she tries to be the first to raise her hand to pitch in. That played out recently when she and other ROTC members took part in United Way’s Day of Caring, helping to get Camp Laughing Loon ready for the summer. Their job was raking leaves ”“ lots of leaves. Then there are the parades, bottle drives, and taking part in a number of veterans projects.

A member of the Leo Club, an offshoot of the Massabesic Lions Club, O’Brien helps serve at suppers, and gets involved with fundraisers and other projects ”“ like the one in which Leo members made toys for animals and then took them to the Animal Welfare Society in West Kennebunk. Of course, a plus of that particular adventure was playing with the cats and dogs and other small animals, she said.

O’Brien said she started volunteering three or four years ago, painting faces during a craft fair. She liked it, so she kept at it and more and more volunteer opportunities arose.

O’Brien didn’t mention all of her volunteer efforts when speaking with a reporter on Wednesday. But her mom, Jane, helped fill in the gaps ”“ she said her daughter volunteers to talk with middle school students about what high school is like; volunteers at the Christmas Fair every year; and helped with building sets and more with the MHS Drama Club. Her mother said Molly takes part in Casey’s Run and is volunteering this weekend at a Tri for a Cure event. As well, she runs the Run for Fallen in honor of her cousin, 1st Lt. Keith Heidtman, a Connecticut man who was killed when his helicopter was shot down in Iraq on Memorial Day, 2007. 

According to Richards at the United Way, the bank foundation contributes $500 for the award; with the winner choosing a charity on which to bestow $250. O’Brien chose the Wounded Warrior Project. The remaining $250, Richards said, was O’Brien’s do to with what she liked. O’Brien chose to give that $250 to the Waterboro Community Pantry, an organization looking to build a new food pantry in Waterboro after the previous one closed when the church in which it was located was closed and sold.

This summer, O’Brien, who was a camper last year, will be an assistant instructor at the two”“week Future Leaders Camp at Norwich University, a military college in Northfield, Vermont. 

What’s next? Well, she’ll be a high school junior in the fall, and is thinking ahead to what avenues she may explore after high school. She said she’s eyeing a teaching career, but that could change.

Meanwhile, he’ll keep on volunteering.

Why?

“I like it because people get so happy, and it feels like what I should be doing,” she said.

— Senior Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 324”“4444 (local call in Sanford) or 282”“1535, ext. 327 or [email protected].