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Needham High School senior Eva Marie Papantoniou has been named April's RAY of Hope.
Papantoniou has been a volunteer in several Needham Youth Services programs, in particular the VIP mentoring program. “She has made an individual impact in the life of the child she mentors, as she has been a weekly positive influence and role model in his life. For this student, the past three years with Eva Marie as his mentor has been invaluable,” recognized Katy Colthart from Youth Services.
“Eva Marie has gone above and beyond the high school volunteer requirement of 60 hours, earning over a hundred volunteer hours through our programs,” she continued. Some of Eva Marie’s many volunteer projects also include the summer program VAN (Volunteers Around Needham), through which she took part in organizing games at a local nursing home, cleaning up local parks, working at the housing authority in town, sorting clothes and supplies at the local thrift store, and working at the food pantry in town.
“This volunteer work is extremely important to the community of Needham, as these local agencies have come to rely on the students who volunteer with them,” stated Eva Marie.
The American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life annual walk is just one of the many different organizations Eva Marie is a part of in the Needham community. She became active in Relay for Life soon after her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer six years ago. Eva Marie, alongside her teammates, the "Forget-Me-Nots," walk throughout the night to raise money in support of The American Cancer Society.
Eva Marie is also a member of one of Needham High school’s a cappella group, Fermata Nowhere. Every year, the a cappella groups perform for various events to raise money for the charity of the students’ choosing. In the past, all of the a cappella groups performed and raised money for Relay for Life, leading to Needham High presenting a check for $3,000 dollars to the Relay.
In her spare time, Eva Marie babysits, enjoys listening to music, going to the movies with friends and spending time with her family.
