The Ryan Chen Memorial Citizenship Award

RECIPIENTS:

2022: Congratulations Naomi and Colton! 💚💙

RYAN CHEN MEMORIAL CITIZENSHIP AWARD

In 2022, the Ryan Chen Memorial Foundation Fund launched the inaugural Ryan Chen Memorial Citizenship Award that is awarded to one or two grade 6 student(s) that demonstrate qualities of citizenship at Battalion Park School. The award is $250. If two students are selected, the award will be split, and each student will receive $125. The citizenship quality for 2022 was resilience.

The citizenship quality for 2023 is kindness.

2023 is a special year for our family as this is the year that Ryan would have graduated from Battalion Park School with his Grade 6 classmates.  For this year, the citizenship quality that students are to demonstrate is one that Ryan was known for by all – kindness.  The award will once again be $250 to one or split equally between two Grade 6 students that best demonstrate this quality through their actions.

Even at an early age, Ryan’s parents were in amazed by Ryan’s ability to be kind to others.  At the age of 4, he started doing chores and cleaning up after his brother without being asked to because he wanted to help and make his parents happy.  After Ryan was diagnosed with cancer, he became weak because of his treatments.  He then started writing cards and letters of encouragement to friends and family who were sick with a cold, while he was getting chemotherapy – a drug that damaged his healthy cells, caused his hair to fall out, and made him feel immense pain and nausea. 

At the age of 6, he was very aware of his peers, friends, or family members feeling scared or sad and would try to cheer them up with a hug, a drawing, or a kind word.  Ryan’s kindness for others is a quality that our family strives for every day.

“No act of kindness, no matter how small is ever wasted.” – Aesop

The Ryan Chen Memorial Citizenship Award was created to continue the legacy of how one young boy’s courage, spirit and compassion for others could continue to shine a light on the best aspects of humanity.