A large crowd participated in the Universal Human Rights Day Breakfast Celebration on Saturday morning, Jan. 18, in at the McCoart Building. The festivities began with a program in the board chambers. 

Honorees and guests were welcomed by Pat Lightfoot of the Human Rights Commission, followed by Supervisor John Jenkins and County Executive, Melissa Peacor.

The Keynote Speaker was Ateeb Ahmad, a human rights commissioner since the age of 20. Ahmad, who has served in many volunteer capacities, such as the Manassas-based community organization SERVE and the Prince William County Police department, stressed the necessity for getting youth involved in volunteer efforts. “Young people are willing to serve, but you need to reach out to them,” said Ahmad.

Human Rights Awards were presented to:

• Maxine Allen, President of Gainesville Community in Action. Through programs at Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church, GCIA provides clothing, heaters, fans, food and school supplies to those in need.
• Sam Hill, provost, NVCC-Woodbridge, was an award winner for his work making the Woodbridge campus accessible to all and supporting the performing and cultural arts. Hill has been instrumental in launching  the Workforce Development Center.
• Antonio Marquez, representing Kababayan, an organization devoted to the Filipino/Filipino American community, the preservation of cultural harmony and fund raising to contribute to charities and educational efforts.
• The members of the Complete Count Census Committee were awarded for their contribution toward raising public awareness and ensuring all communities had access to and assistance with the census count. Members of this team were: Tony Reyes, Karin Gagnon, Karen Ulrich, Kelly Easterly, Tanya Kern, Sanjeev Raman, Rev. Charles Lundy and Lynne Grasso.
• All About M.E. (the Mentoring Experience) were honored for their work with female students at Fannie Fitzgerald Elementary School. This program is created by and staffed with Hylton High School students, led by Mrs. Diana Brent. Student mentors awarded were Ciarra McPhail, Alexis Simpson, and Simone McPhail.

A breakfast buffet followed in the Atrium.