Earlier this week, the Ysleta ISD Board of Trustees honored a young student fighting a big battle with the heart of a superhero with the YISD President’s Award: Eastwood Heights Elementary School kindergartner Zoey Spinks.
Despite her tender age, Zoey already has years of experience raising awareness and money to fight cystic fibrosis – a rare, genetic disease that she has been diagnosed with.
While most adults might feel defeated or helpless after receiving this kind of diagnosis, Zoey’s realization of her illness has only inspired her to make the world a better place.
She is an active spokesperson for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation created by her mother to support El Pasoans with the disease.
Locally, Zoey helps promote the nationwide Great Strides Walk, the largest fundraising event for cystic fibrosis. She has recorded public service announcements about her disease and medications, made public presentations, conducted media interviews, and distributed flyers to raise awareness of the Great Strides Walk.
On the day of the event, Zoey not only rolls up her sleeves to help with set-up, but she participates with her team called, “Zipping for Zoey,” which has raised more than $30,000 in the past four years!
In addition, Zoey goes the extra mile to help others in need, she’s gone so far as to try and donate her allowance to a homeless woman she once saw in a wheelchair.
Instead, Zoey and her mom decided to create care packages with toiletries, socks, granola bars, and peanut-butter crackers, which Zoey hands out to the homeless at stoplights.
She also performs community service through her Girl Scout troop; and she recently won the Extraordinary Eagle Award at Eastwood Heights for demonstrating kindness in all she does.
Though she is still very young, Zoey has already proven that she is more than capable of making a profound difference in other people’s lives.
The President’s Award is given by the President of the Board of Trustees to a YISD student who has demonstrated exceptional and/or innovative, out-of-the-ordinary service to others, particularly those within the YISD community.
