Meet the Youth Citizens of the Year

Five Los Gatos youth were honored the morning of Oct. 1 at Los Gatos High School with the Youth Citizen of the Year Award given by the Los Gatos Youth Park Inc. organization.

The honorees are Joe Chadwick, Jordanne Sanford, Michael Daboll, Michaela Jose and Ruth Cormier.

The nonprofit has been around for more than 25 years, and its mission is to support town youth with recognition and promote local scouting programs. It's run by a nine-member board of directors, who are all volunteers. Bob Jones, a member of the , is the president of the board of directors.

The award recognizes youth who have made significant contributions to the community and are considered role models for other young people, according to awards program coordinator, Chris Miller, a Los Gatos native involved in many civic organizations.

The youth will participate in the Los Gatos holiday tree lighting ceremony on Dec. 2 and will start the Los Gatos Children’s Holiday parade with a whistle on Dec. 3, said Miller. A personal letter was sent to each recipient from President Barack Obama.