Brentwood Student Wins Volunteerism Award

Published February 17, 2011

Brentwood High School senior Kendall Gilfillan will represent Tennessee at the annual Prudential Spirit of Community Awards in Washington D.C. Gilfillan is one of only 102 people nationwide to win the award, which honors young people for outstanding acts of volunteerism.

For the last three years, Kendall has helped to organize and coordinate an annual "battle of the bands" concert that has raised more than $16,000 to eradicate modern-day slavery around the world. Kendall became interested in the cause after learning of the approximately 12 million people worldwide who are exploited and held against their will.

"Many people today are under the impression that slavery ended in 1865 with Abraham Lincoln and the Thirteenth Amendment," said Gilfillan. "As I found out, that is not the case."

In addition to receiving an all-expense-paid trip to Washington D.C., Kendall will receive a $1,000 award and an engraved medallion.