LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION commending Samuel Lam, of Old Westbury, upon the
occasion of his designation as a State Honoree in the 18th Annual
Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to act, in accord with
its long-standing traditions, honoring the youth of today, and leaders
of tomorrow, whose character and achievements exemplify the ideals and
values cherished by this great State and nation; and
WHEREAS, Samuel Lam has distinguished himself as a young man of super-
lative ability, establishing a high standard of community service,
purposefulness of life, and sense of responsibility rarely achieved in
youthful years; and
WHEREAS, Samuel Lam, 17, of Old Westbury, New York, a Senior at Jeri-
cho Senior High School in Jericho, New York, has achieved national
recognition for exemplary volunteer service by being named a 2013
Prudential Spirit of Community State Honoree; and
WHEREAS, The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, created in 1995 by
Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of
Secondary School Principals (NASSP), are designed to emphasize the
importance our nation places on service to others, and to encourage all
young Americans to contribute to their communities; and
WHEREAS, As a State Honoree, Samuel Lam will receive $1,000, an
engraved silver medallion and a trip to Washington, D.C. in early May
2013, where he will join the State Honorees from the other states and
the District of Columbia for four days of national recognition events;
and
WHEREAS, Samuel Lam co-founded a nonprofit organization which is work-
ing to educate both young people and adults about cyber bullying and to
provide support and assistance to those who have been victims of online
harassment; and
WHEREAS, When he was in the eighth grade, Samuel Lam stood up to a
fellow student who was bullying another boy, and soon became a target
himself; the bully and his friends plastered Samuel's Facebook wall with
vitriolic statements and racial slurs; and
WHEREAS, Samuel Lam had no idea whom to turn to for help; feeling
lost, humiliated and defenseless, he felt caught in a seemingly hopeless
battle; and
WHEREAS, Instead of just enduring the attacks, Samuel Lam resolved to
do something to stop not just his own harassment, but the cyber bullying
millions of young people experience every day around the world either
through the Internet or a cell phone; and
WHEREAS, He created a website featuring news and statistics about
cyber bullying, along with tips on how to prevent it; he then began
enlisting help from classmates, making presentations at middle schools
and high schools, and using social media to broaden his audience; and
WHEREAS, As word spread, Samuel Lam and a classmate formed the End to
Cyber Bullying Organization which they designed to become a global
awareness campaign which, to date, has attracted more than 200 volun-
teers, sparked youth initiatives in numerous states plus Great Britain,
China and Australia, and reached more than 4.5 million individuals
worldwide; and
WHEREAS, The success of the State of New York, the strength of our
communities, and the vitality of American society depend, in great meas-
ure, upon the dedication of young people like Samuel Lam, who use their
considerable talents and resources to serve others; and
WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is moved to honor Samuel Lam, commend-
ing him for his outstanding record of volunteer service, peer leader-

ship, and community service and recognizing the value of his labors and
the promise of his future; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations, with
praise and pride, to commend Samuel Lam for his achievements and to
extend to him the best wishes of this Legislative Body for a future of
purposeful success and well-being, fully confident of his response to
the challenges of a promising future and appreciative of the model he
represents for all young people of the Empire State; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Samuel Lam.