CHEYENNE, Wyo. – Southeast High School senior Logan Grosz, 18, was nominated by Goshen County 4-H in Torrington for the Prudential Spirit of Community Award, a nationwide program that honors young people for outstanding acts of volunteerism.
On Feb. 6, Logan was announced as a state honoree for being one of the top two youth volunteers of the year in Wyoming. Logan will receive recognition in Washington D.C. this upcoming spring as his application was considered for the President’s Volunteer Service Award.
Logan’s volunteer work consisted of organizing fundraisers to yield more than $7,500 to buy toys and equipment for Children’s Hospital Colorado, where doctors have twice saved his life. Logan regularly travels three hours to the Denver area to receive treatment for an autoimmune disorder.
“When I go see my doctors, they make me feel so welcome and speak to me in a language I can understand,” Logan said.

During one of his hospitalizations, he decided he wanted to give back to the hospital that had done so much for him, and at the same time do something that would make hospital stays a little easier for other young patients.
After the second time Logan was airlifted to the hospital, officials there asked him to be the hospital’s “Champion” for the state of Wyoming. As a Champion, Logan tells his story at special events that have raised large amounts of money and awareness for the hospital, conducts his own fundraisers, and works with the hospital’s foundation.
The first fundraiser Logan organized was a “hat day” that allowed students to wear hats at school in exchange for a donation. The results of that event and a subsequent fundraiser enabled Logan to help purchase a specialized blood transfusion machine for the hospital, as well as toys, movies and video games for the children being treated there.
As a state honoree, Logan will receive $1,000, an engraved silver medallion, and an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C., in late April to join the other honorees from each of the other states for four days of national recognition events.
While in Washington, D.C., Logan, along with the other 101 state honorees, will tour capital landmarks, meet top youth volunteers from other parts of the world, attend a gala awards ceremony at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History and visit with congressional representatives on Capitol Hill.
On April 30, 10 of the State Honorees will be named America’s top youth volunteers of 2018. These National Honorees will receive additional $5,000 awards, gold medallions, crystal trophies, and $5,000 grants from the Prudential Foundation for nonprofit charitable organizations of their choice.
For information on all of this year’s Prudential Spirit of Community State Honorees and Distinguished Finalists, visit http://spirit.prudential.com or www.nassp.org/spirit.