To paraphrase a Marine Corps slogan, the United Way is seeking a few outstanding teenage volunteers and it is asking the community to help find them.

Deadline for nominations for Outstanding Teenage Volunteer awards is March 17.

Several years ago, the United Way in Fayette County established the program locally to recognize young people who exhibited outstanding volunteer efforts over the past year. Nominees this year will be honored at the annual Volunteer Thank You Breakfast in late April.

“Volunteers don't jump up and shout, `Look at me!' That's particularly true of teenagers,” said Jack Krakeel, chairman of the Volunteerism Committee of United Way in Fayette. “They quietly go about helping where they can and often stay in the background,” said Krakeel, director of Fayette's Department of Fire and Emergency Services.

“Our youth,” he said, “are like an untapped resource. They are often overlooked as volunteers. Many of them are anxious to help, but school attendance, transportation difficulties and many times their age limit the number of hours or types of service teenagers can perform.”

But teens are no less valuable as volunteers, Krakeel said. “Community service habits are formed early in life,” he said.

The primary focus of the awards is to encourage volunteerism and to recognize volunteer efforts in the county.

Nominees must be Fayette residents, and may be individual teens or groups. Their service must be truly voluntary and not to meet court-mandated, school or graduation requirements. Honorees must be in ninth through 12th grades.

“Take a minute and think about your family, friends, coworkers and neighbors,” said Krakeel. “You probably know someone who does volunteer work.”

For a nomination form, phone the United Way office, 770-719-2252 or 770-254-8497.