By NEAL WAGNER / Managing Editor

ALABASTER – The Alabaster Teen Council showed its support for several local organizations during a late-November Alabaster City Council meeting when it presented thousands of dollars worth of donations to the groups.

Over the past few weeks, Teen Council members were given the opportunity to nominate an organization to receive a portion of the money the group raised through selling concessions at its events, such as summer movies, the back-to-school bash and summer slip-n-slide event.

During the meeting, the Teen Council presented checks to the Alabaster Parks and Recreation Department to fund signs on the city’s disc golf course at Veterans Park, the Warrior Center, which serves students with significant special needs, Mitchell’s Place, which provides services to children on the autism spectrum, and to the Alabaster YMCA’s aquatics program.

“I want to say how proud I am of y’all, not only for providing events for your peers, but also of how well you’ve worked together,” said Alabaster Mayor Marty Handlon. “We’re very proud of the work that you’ve done.”

The Teen Council is open to all students in grades 9-11 who attend Thompson High School, Kingwood Christian School or Evangel Christian School and area homeschools.

Over the past several years, the Teen Council has grown significantly in numbers, as the group only consisted of 12 teens during its inaugural year in 2014 and is now up to 31.

“Thank you to the mayor for her leadership with the Teen Council,” said Ward 1 Councilwoman Sophie Martin. “What they did here tonight was incredible.”