On August 17, 2019, at the 10th annual Summit for Kids Expo, Summit County Juvenile Court Judge Linda Teodosio presented Kofi R. Boakye of Akron with the 2019 Summit for Kids Russ Pry Youth Award. Boakye was chosen for the award by the Summit for Kids Russ Pry Youth Award judging panel.
Boakye has been an active member of the community through his volunteer work and musical platform. In recent years, he has worked hard to uplift the Akron area through projects like “Humble & Have No Fear”, a collaboration with the late Russ Pry. This advocacy campaign resulted in a promotional commercial that discouraged gun violence in Northeast Ohio. Boayke has also dedicated himself to his academic studies. At 19, he is already a University of Akron graduate.
Most recently, Boayke co-produced a documentary with Pritt Entertainment Group titled “Kofi: Made in Akron”, a short-film that explores his journey through music. The film garnered an Emmy nomination. He plans to continue be a positive role model and support others as he begins classes at Berklee College of Music in Boston this fall.
“At such a young age Kofi has already accomplished much and has contributed even more to his community,” said Summit County Executive Ilene Shapiro. “He is a role model that other young people in Summit County can look to for inspiration. He is absolutely deserving of this award and I look forward to his future successes.”
In addition to receiving the award, Boakye received $500 to be donated to a local 501(c)(3) charity of his choice. He chose Guys and Gals Community Partnerships.
The annual Summit for Kids Russ Pry Youth Award recognizes an outstanding individual under 21 years of age who has created or collaborated with a program that focuses on enriching the lives of young people and making a difference in their community. This is the 10th year for Summit for Kids, a two day program focusing on kids’ health, education and quality of life.
