Bailey Taft, left, and Melissa Dominach with just a fraction of the gear they’ve collected for Red Bank athletic programs. (Photo courtesy of Margie Dominach)

Each year, one student from every public middle and high school in Monmouth County is spotlighted at a ceremony organized by the Monmouth County School Boards Association.

The award honors academic as well as personal growth and/or unique contributions students have made to their schools or communities.

Normally, districts are limited to nominating one student per school, says Fair Haven Superintendent Kathi Cronin. But this year, Fair Haven gets to send two middle-schoolers to Thursday night’s event.

They are Melissa Dominach and Bailey Taft, who started and run a sports-equipment charity that’s gone through the roof with donations.

Cronin says she could have stuck to the rule and picked either of the girls (a Solomon’s choice) or another child, but given what the 12-year-old pals Bailey and Melissa have pulled off with via Equipment for Kids, “that would just be dumb.” So she asked for an won an exception to the rule.

According to the Equipment for Kids website, the girls have now collected nearly 1,500 pieces of athletic equipment targeted for use by kids in the Red Bank Parks & Rec programs.

“You couldn’t write a better script” for what Melissa an Bailey have achieved, Cronin says.

The event, formally known as the Dr. Norman J Field Student Achievers Recognition Program, will be held starting at 7p at Marlboro High School.

Here’s the complete list of winners; the names of local kids are highlighted.

Grades 5 – 8

William Acciavatti, Manasquan Elementary School
Joseph Amato, Cedar Drive School
Caron Atkins, Alternative Middle School
Alexa Avitto, Woodrow Wilson School
Amanda Barnes, Farmingdale School
Alexandra Berry, Thorne Middle School
Marina Bisha, Bradley Beach Elementary School
Kelli Blue, Neptune Middle School
Anthony Caruso, Township of Ocean Intermediate School
Keara Cenatus, Asbury Park Intermediate School
Alexander Ching, William R. Satz Middle School
Katherine Dahlmeier, Forrestdale School
Emily Dallas, Upper Freehold Regional Middle School
Marissa Di Napoli, Belmar Elementary School
Melissa Dominach, Knollwood School
Timothy Donahue, Howell Middle School North
Erin Donegan, Monmouth Beach Elementary School
Sage Duchai, Roosevelt Public School
Maha Elgohail, Atlantic Highlands Elementary School
Andrew Feldman, Dwight D. Eisenhower Middle School
Kali Ferguson, Avon Elementary School
Shelby Frank, Deal Elementary School
Avi Garg, Tinton Falls Middle School
Brian Geiger, Brielle Elementary School
Andrew Grogan, Henry Hudson School
Daniel Gutch, Hazlet Middle School
Roksana Hajduk, Long Branch Middle School
Chelsey Henderson, Frank Antonides School
Mathew Herling, Marlboro Middle School
Emily Jankowski, Manalapan Englishtown Middle School
Aileen Johnson, Maple Place Middle School
Raashi Khanna, Marlboro Memorial Middle School
Emily Kinneman, Joseph R. Bolger Middle School
Karlie Korz, Freehold Intermediate School
Erica Liberman, Eatontown Memorial School
Amberlee Meek, Howell Middle School South
Conor Mulholland, Wall Intermediate School
Bridget Nucum, Matawan Aberdeen Middle School
Brittany Pare, Memorial Middle School
Jessica Parisi, Millstone Middle School
Christopher Randazzo, Sea Girt Middle School
Emily Reardon, Markham Place School
Samantha Riordan, Red Bank Middle School
Hunter Sabins, Spring Lake Heights Elementary School
Theresa Soya, Shrewsbury Borough Middle School
Elizabeth Stockton, H.W. Mountz School
Bailey Taft, Knollwood School
Desiree Tyler, Keyport High School
Steven Viera, Clifton T. Barkalow Middle School
Bridget Wheeler, Union Beach Memorial School
Hunter Wiedmyer, Highlands Elementary School
William Yetka, Bayshore Middle School

Grades 11-12

Anisha Atluri, Marlboro High School
Alanna Autler, Freehold Township High School
Zachary Baggot, Monmouth County Vo Tech Culinary Education Center
William Cosgrave, Monmouth County Vo Tech – CLASS Academy
Justin DaConceicao, Henry Hudson School
Lauren DiBara, Wall High School
Surina Diddi, Holmdel High School
Ronald Dukes, Red Bank Regional High School
Peter Elichko, Choices Alternative High School
Daniel Geran, Matawan Regional High School
Michella Gordon, Monmouth County Vocational School
Ben Gunn, Keyport High School
Kathlyn Herrick, Colts Neck High School
Brandon Hom, Monmouth County Academy of Allied Health & Science
Kristen Johnson, Middletown High School North
Megan Kaiser, Keansburg High School
Jason Kane, Raritan High School
Avery Kannatt, Neptune High School
Nicholas Keselowsky, Ocean Township High School
Tim Kinneman, Monmouth County Vo Tech – Freehold
Nicole Kruk, Monmouth County Vo Tech – Hazlet
Johnny Laine, Asbury Park High School
Devinn Lambert, Biotechnology High School
Kay Lantz, Monmouth Regional High School
Bridget Levine, Allentown High School
Allison Linnell, Monmouth County Vo Tech – M.A.S.T.
Tyree Mabson, Monmouth County Vo Tech – Middletown Campus
Brittany Mackason, Monmouth County Vo Tech – Aberdeen Campus
Jack Masterson, Manasquan High School
Patrick McCusker, Monmouth County Vo Tech – KIVA High School
Amanda McKean, Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School
Amanda Ng, Monmouth County Vo Tech – High Tech High School
Anna Pierce, Shore Regional High School
Rithambara Ramachandran, Freehold High School
Adam Rice, Manalapan High School
Adam Saunders, Monmouth County Vo Tech Communications High School
Natalie Sgro, Middletown High School South
Walter Soden, Long Branch High School
Mary Thomas-Ridgway, Howell High School
Melissa Whoeler, Monmouth County Vo Tech – Career Center

Here’s a letter that outlines the awards criteria: Download award_criteria_2008.doc

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