Amazing Grace (Kunas) Awarded EMT Scholarship

In yet another honor for the , two of their teen EMTs have been selected for $4,000 scholarships from the 200 Club. The two volunteers are Grace Kunas and Nikhil "Nikky" Shah. The scholarships are given to 25 Morris County high school students who volunteer as EMTs. 

Patch hopes to profile both award recipients. Up first, Grace Kunas.

Kunas, who turns 18 this week, serves on an overnight shift every week for the Morris Minute Men. She has answered 168 emergency medical calls since joining in March of 2010 when she was a junior at the Academy of Saint Elizabeth. She also participates in many other Minute Men activities. In the fall, Kunas is off to the University of Pennsylvania where she has received a Navy ROTC Scholarship and will study nursing. 

"I am so proud to receive this scholarship," Kunas said. "The Minute Men organization has provided me with amazing opportunities and I am extremely grateful for the experiences I have had thus far. The Minute Men has become like a second family to me; everybody has been so welcoming and I have learned so much. I can't imagine not volunteering for the rest of my life." 

According to Morris Minute Men Captain Mark Wintle, "The 200 Club is an amazing organization that helps survivors of PD, FD or EMS members who die in the line of duty. They grant a $25,000 check to the widow or widower and $5,000 per year to surviving children. That's pretty cool in and of itself, but they also have a scholarship program--and no one has to die in order to receive it. This is a fantastic recognition for our young members who somehow manage to juggle academics, athletics, and being on the busiest and most demanding squad in Morris County. Given that our members typically spend 12 hours a week, plus a 24-hour shift once a month, in uniform at our headquarters; the quantity of 911 calls they answer, plus completing a 110 hour EMT class, this a well-deserved honor. I am very proud to see our young members get this recognition and financial assistance."