2016 Gift Of The Heart – Clearview Regional High School

Woodbury, NJ February 22, 2016
For Immediate Release

The law firm of Hoffman DiMuzio has allocated close to a half a million dollars to its “Gift of the Heart” Community Service Scholarship Foundation. Forty-one graduating seniors from Gloucester & Salem County High Schools have been selected to receive a one thousand dollar scholarship for embodying the service ideals of the program. This week, the 2016 “Gift of the Heart” Hoffman DiMuzio Community Service Foundation recipients are from Clearview Regional High School: Rebecca Walters and Pietro Sparacio.

Rebecca Walters

Rebecca remembers as a young child the many individuals who volunteered their time to assist her. Her coaches, after-school program advisors and Girls Scout Troop Leaders all helped mold her into the person she is today. Today, Rebecca gives back as a way to say thank you to all those who volunteered their time with her in her younger days.

Much of Rebecca’s volunteering has been helping children with special needs. As the daughter of a pediatric therapist, she has observed first hand the challenges children with disabilities face. As the recipient of the Girl Scout Silver award, Rebecca taught disability sensitivity for her project. Her project opened the eyes of elementary children to what it feels like to be disabled. The children would try on different disabilities and then take part in an open discussion regarding their feelings and brainstorm on ways they might be able to help their disabled peers.

Rebecca, working with the Hugh O’Brien Youth Leadership Council, also received the prestigious Presidential Award from President Obama for community service. She is an active member in the National Honor Society, Student Council and Key Club school organizations.

Thank you Rebecca for teaching a twofold lesson, one of compassion toward others different than oneself and showing our grade school children that we are never too young to volunteer to help others!

Pietro Sparacio

Pietro Sparacio is a volunteer extraordinaire. No matter what the cause, he will volunteer for the sake of helping others. His time volunteering has given him the opportunity to meet a diverse range of people, with one common goal: each day brings new opportunity to show kindness and help others.

Pietro currently serves as the Community Service Chair for the Clearview Student Council. This position allows him to plan and participate in events that help aid the community, such as collecting food and personal care items for the homeless, fundraisers for local families struggling to pay medical bills and community cleanups.

Through his two years in the National Honor Society and four years in Key Club, Pietro helps everyone from Clearview Alumni to impoverished children throughout the world with UNICEF.

In his spare time, Pietro volunteers at the local library and anywhere else he is needed to help. With Pietro, wherever there is a cause he is there to help.

Thank you for your dedicated service Pietro!

Congratulations are extended to Clearview Regional High School’s Rebecca Walters and Pietro Sparacio, as well as to their proud family and friends! Their dedication to others exemplifies what a Gift of the Heart is truly all about!

Next week’s featured recipients will be from Delsea Regional High School.

Click here to read more about the Hoffman DiMuzio Gift Of The Heart Scholarship Foundation.

If you’d like to see the rest of the 2016 scholarship winners, click here.