Needham Youth Services' March 2012 RAY of Hope recipients are Samantha Distler, Beth Gordon and Aliza Bloostein.

Penny Gordon nominated the three girls for the RAY of Hope award for their work in assembling a swim-a-thon in 2010 to raise funds to help disaster relief work in Haiti after a very powerful and devastating earthquake struck Haiti. In 2011, the girls also participated in a second swim-a-thon to benefit a Japanese relief fund to aid victims of the tsunami.

They met six years ago on their swim team and have been friends ever since. The three are longtime members of the Karishim Swim Club, a competitive swim team at the Jewish Community Center in Newton that is devoted to developing strong values, building self esteem, and enabling swimmers ages 8-17 to meet their competitive potential.

Distler and Gordon attend Pollard Middle school; Distler is in the eighth grade and Gordon is in the seventh grade. Bloostein is a seventh grader at Solomon Schechter Day School in Newton.  

Distler loves swimming, cooking and spending time with friends and family. She has done other volunteering working in a soup kitchen in Cambridge and reading to children in Roxbury.

Bloostein adores swimming, hanging out with friends, and spending time with her family. 

Gordon enjoys swimming, dancing, playing basketball, and spending time with friends and family. She has also volunteered at homeless shelters on various occasions.