Staff file photo / R. Michael Semple Christopher Mijavec, a senior at Howland High School, was the overall winner of the 12th annual Twenty Under 20 Awards, which were presented Wednesday at a banquet at DiVieste’s Banquet Center in Warren. The program is co-sponsored by the Tribune Chronicle, Akron Children’s and AVI Foodsystems.

HOWLAND — More families in need will be able eat this winter, thanks to a donation from a young community leader.

Howland High School senior Christopher Mijavec, who was announced as the 12th annual Twenty Under 20 winner at a dinner Wednesday, donated his winnings — $500 to a charity of his choice — to Second Harvest Food Bank of the Mahoning Valley.

Renee Fuller, Second Harvest Food Bank’s director of development, admitted that they only recently learned of Mijavec, who was on TV speaking about his school’s wrestling team’s decision to give up specific foods to make weight for the sport.

“They were collecting boxes of cereal, and they had over 100 boxes of cereal that they were taking over to the Sparkle in Cortland to put in there for Project Feed Our Valley, and he was the lead of getting that along,” Fuller said. “And then he does this, donates this $500 to us too.”

“What a wonderful young man he is to not only do one act of kindness, but two, in order to help others, especially right now,” Fuller said.

Mijavec said he reached out to a few people when they first got the cereal from their wrestling food drive to see who would take it.

“We reached out to a few people and they were one of the people that were willing to take all the boxes; we had over 100 boxes of cereal we collected,” Mijavec said. “So I figured I can give them the check while I’m at it, since I’ve collected all this cereal we’re going to donate to them.”

Fuller said the $500 alone will provide 2,500 meals to individuals in need, noting there’s an increased need during Christmas because of the financial strains and pressure that comes with the holiday.

“Everyone’s trying to have certain items that they want for their holidays and to make it nice and plus just trying to have gifts and everything,” Fuller said. “The expectations there are for the holidays and then to try to afford your regular food to feed your family and pay your bills. It gets very difficult.”

“It makes you proud that there are young people out there that think of others like this and it’s really heartwarming,” she added.

Fuller said she hasn’t met Mijavec in person yet, but she said she’d love to, so she can shake his hand.

The Twenty Under 20 program, co-sponsored by the Tribune Chronicle, Akron Children’s and AVI Foodsystems, honors 20 young people under the age of 20 based on their academics, extracurricular involvement and community service. Mijavec was among 20 honorees picked from a pool of more than 50 nominations. He was named the overall winner out of five finalists for the honor.