AR Newsline Names 2005 Young Ham of the Year

(Los Angeles, CA)  At age 12, Rebekah Dorff, WG4Y, of Hoover, Alabama, is proof positive that being young is no liability when striving toward success. She entered ham radio in 2001 at age 8.  A year later she had already upgraded to Extra and was awarded a plaque by the Birmingham Amateur Radio Club celebrating her becoming (to the club's knowledge) the youngest Extra ever in the state of Alabama and, possibly, the entire South. Now, she has been named the 20th recipient of the Amateur Radio Newsline™ Young Ham of the Year Award.

Rebekah comes from an almost all-ham family.  Her father is Truman Williams Jr., NN4C; her mother Angela Williams, WN4C, and older sister Christal holds the call KG4WYN.  Her two non-ham siblings are her brothers Jeffrey and Joey.   She is currently a 6th grader at the Homeland Christian School, where she has already achieved Honor Roll standing along with many awards for Citizenship. 

Among Rebekah's numerous ham radio related accomplishments was her involvement in a toy drive for the Alabama victims of Hurricane Ivan.  Rebekah not only received donations of toys, she also raised over $1100, which she used to purchase winter clothing and additional toys, all of which she delivered to those in the City of Mobile who were most in need. 

Rebekah serves as the Net control station for the Birmingham Amateur Radio Club’s weekly BARC Kids Net that she originated in 2002.  She also assists in teaching duties with the Birmingham Amateur Radio Club’s “Technician Class” well as at license exam sessions.  She has also helped out on Boy Scout Merit Badge Day, sponsored Kids' Day events the past two years at the Birmingham Amateur Radio Club’s station and even met with Huntsville, Alabama Mayor Loretta Spencer to  discuss Amateur Radio related issues. 

A born communicator, Rebekah has used her skills to influence other youngsters to enter the hobby through presentations she has made at three of the largest hamfests in Alabama and at Carole Perry’s "Youth in Amateur Radio” forum at the Dayton Hamvention®.  As a happy coincidence, at this year's Hamventon®, Rebekah shared host duties at the ARRL “Youth Expo Booth” with 2004 ARNewsline™ “Young Ham of the Year” Andrea Hartlage, KG4IUM.  

As an avid DX’er, Rebekah achieved DXCC by age 10.  She also enjoys contesting and has participated in the Alabama QSO Party, in which she won first place in the “multi-operator” category.  Other contests in which she has taken part include the ARRL160m Contest, CQ World Wide WPX Contest and the CQ World Wide DX Contest.  Two other major operating events in which Rebekah is a regular are Kids' Day and ARRL Field Day,  She was also present when the Governor of Alabama signed a Proclamation declaring June 20th-26th as Amateur Radio Week in Alabama.

Her interests outside of Amateur Radio include reading, writing, painting, chess, ballet, photography, collecting stamps, and singing in a choir.  She also finds time to visit local nursing homes and to help the Ronald McDonald House raise money. Rebekah also participated in a “Young Eagles” event where she was able to go flying with several other kids. The “Young Eagles” is a youth group sponsored by the Experimental Aircraft Association to introduce youngsters ages 8 to 17 to aviation and flight. 

The Amateur Radio Newsline™ Young Ham of the Year Award will be presented to Rebekah Dorff on Saturday, August 20th, 2005 at the Huntsville Hamfest in Huntsville, Alabama. The award ceremony will be co-hosted by Bill Pasternak (WA6ITF) of Amateur Radio Newsline™, and ARNewsline™ news anchor Don Wilbanks, AE5DW. Corporate underwriters will be represented by Rich Moseson, W2VU, Editor, and Don Allen, W9CW, Advertising Manager, of CQ magazine and a representatives of Vertex Standard USA, Inc..  The presentation of the award as a regular feature of this prestigious Amateur Radio convention has been made possible through the generosity of the Huntsville Hamfest Planning Committee and its Chairman, Walter "Scotty" Neustadter, (W4WW).

As 2005 "Young Ham of the Year," Rebekah will receive -- courtesy of Vertex Standard USA -- an expense-paid trip to the Huntsville Hamfest, along with a gift of Yaesu ham radio equipment.  CQ magazine will treat Rebekah to an expense-paid week at Spacecamp-Huntsville, and will present her with a variety of CQ products. Amateur Radio Newsline™ will provide Rebekah with a commemorative plaque at the award ceremony. The cost of year's plaque has been underwritten by Dave Bell, W6AQ, President of DBA Entertainment Inc., Hollywood, California.

The corporate underwriters of the "Amateur Radio Newsline™ Young Ham of the Year Award" are world leaders in their respective areas of Amateur Radio product support. Vertex Standard USA, Inc. is a trailblazer in the design, manufacture and distribution of high quality YAESU Amateur Radio and commercial two-way radio equipment. CQ magazine is considered the trend-setting publication serving today's modern radio amateur.

The Amateur Radio Newsline™ Young Ham of the Year award program, (formerly the Westlink Report Young Ham of the Year) now celebrating its 20th consecutive year, is presented annually to a licensed Radio Amateur (Ham) who is 18 years of age or younger and who has provided outstanding service to the nation, his community or the betterment of the state of the art in communications through the Amateur Radio hobby/service.

Past recipients of the Young Ham of the Year Award, all of whom epitomize the heart of dedication to their nation include:

Shawn Alan Wakefield, WK5P, of Bartlesville, Oklahoma (1986)
David Rosenman, KA9PMK, of Muncie, Indiana (1987)
Jonathan Binstock, NK3D, of Potomac, Maryland (1988)
Erin McGinnis, KAOWTE, of Topeka, Kansas (1989)
Mary Alestra, KB2IGG, of Staten Island, New York (1990)
Richard S. "Sammy" Garrett, AAOCR, of St. Louis, Missouri (1991)
Angela (Angie) Fischer, KBOHXY, of St. Louis, Missouri (1992)
Kevin Boudreaux, N5XMH, of New Orleans, Louisiana (1993)
Allison Zettwoch, KD4CKP, of Louisville, Kentucky (1994)
Adam Weyhaupt, N9MEZ, of Alton, Illinois (1995)
Toby Metz, KB7UIM, of Boise, Idaho (1996)
Brian Mileshosky, N5ZGT, of Albuquerque, New Mexico (1997)
Richard Paczkowski, Jr., KF4BIA, of Edgewater, Florida (1998)
Michelle Swann, KE4EZI, of Warner-Robins, GA (1999)
Christopher Arthur, KT4XA, of Russellville, AL (2000)
Patrick Clark, KC8BFD, of Charleston, WV  (2001)
Josh Abramowicz, KB3GWY, of Reading, PA  (2002)
Jay Thompson, W6JAY, of Santa Ana, CA., (2003)
Andrea Hartlage (KG4IUM), of Grayson, Georgia (2004)

The award sponsors wish to also thank CQ magazine, Worldradio magazine, QST magazine, the ARRL Letter, and the Radio Amateur Information Network for their generosity in assisting in soliciting nominations for the 2005 award. Photos of Rebekah Dorff, WG4Y, provided by Rick Lindquist, N1RL.