Rachel and Kelsi Okun

Rachel and Kelsi Okun of McLean, Virginia, for going above and beyond as young people dedicated to helping the lives of military families throughout the United States. Three years ago, the Okun sisters started ThanksUSA (Treasure Hunt Aiding Needs of Kids and Spouses of those serving the United States of America), a national, non-partisan, charitable effort to mobilize Americans of all ages to “thank” our active-duty troops by providing college, technical, and vocational scholarships to their spouses and dependents. The Okuns launched virtual “treasure hunts” featuring American history and trivia, which can be played for free, although generous donations have funded their scholarships. To date, more than 1,350 people have received scholarships between $1,000 and $5,000 dollars each. The total value awarded so far is nearly $4 million in scholarships.



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