Austin Teen is SpokesGirl for Abused Children

Megan Bentzin is devoted to children.

The Austin, Tex., teenager is a regular fixture at the Helping Hand Home, a facility for abused and neglected children. She reads to the children there, she participates in fundraisers, and she helps out any way she can.

Now Bentzin is pedaling across the United States to benefit Helping Hand Home as well. She is taking part in a program called The American Challenge, in which fifteen high school students are biking coast-to-coast. Bentzin is using her trip as a way to raise funds for Helping Hand Home.

The 3,000-mile trip began in Savannah, Ga., where Bentzin and the others dipped their bike wheels in the waters of the Atlantic. It will end six weeks later when they plunge screaming into the Pacific near Santa Monica, Calif. There is no support vehicle; everyone carries all their gear. And they have to work together through illness, injuries, equipment problems, and other challenges.

For her dedication and determination—and for turning an exciting adventure into a fundraising opportunity for a cause she believes in—Bentzin is the winner of this week’s TeenUp Award.

The TeenUp Awards are directed by Michael Robert Evans, author of the young-adult novel 68 Knots. The TeenUp Award is given each week to an American teenager who has taken the initiative to make a positive difference in the world.

The award is also announced each week in a YouTube video:




For more information, contact Michael Robert Evans, michaelrobertevans@yahoo.com