DATE: Sunday, May 11, 1997                  TAG: 9705090217

SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER      PAGE: 16   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY LIZ SZABO, STAFF WRITER 

                                            LENGTH:   61 lines

DEEP CREEK SOPHOMORE WINS AREA YOUTH-VOLUNTEER AWARD

MICHAEL ALLEN NOHA can be seen all over Chesapeake.

Dishing out chicken and bean dinners to the old-timers at a Deep Creek Ruritan Club charity dinner, earning the unenviable nickname ``Bean Boy'' from his high school principal.

Buying groceries at the supermarket for an elderly neighbor.

Cleaning up the environment at the Deep Creek Locks Park, pulling everything from old tires and, yes, a kitchen sink out of the Elizabeth River.

Helping frightened young victims of fires and accidents by passing out stuffed teddy bears.

Even dressing in a large fuzzy brown ``Rudy Bear'' mascot suit for the Ruritans, waving on the side of George Washington Highway to attract customers for those chicken dinners.

Noha's volunteer work has earned him a prestigious Golden Rule Award from JCPenney and Volunteer Hampton Roads. Noha, a 16-year-old sophomore at Deep Creek High School, won the sole Youth Award in Hampton Roads.

Noha has made volunteering a part of his life. Noha has helped rejuvenate the youth group at Holy Angels Catholic Church, increasing its membership from six to 25 members. He sings in the choir at church as well as school. And he became the Ruritans' youngest member when he joined the club two years ago at age 14. He was inspired by his dad, a Ruritan vice-president and his recreational league soccer coach, he said.

``My dad and I can have fun doing just about anything,'' Noha said. Even serving beans together - a practice that has led his high school principal, Nathan Hardee, to invent his nickname.

Noha simply calls his principal ``Nat,'' one of the perks of belonging to the same civic club as his high school principal.

``There's this rule that Ruritans are always supposed to call each other by their first names,'' Noha said. ``You're not allowed to call anyone `mister,' or you have to give them a quarter.''

Although Noha spends many of his after-school hours in soccer practice or choir rehearsals, he says that many of his best friends belong to his father's generation.

``Kids at school make fun of me, because here I am, 16 years old, and I'm hanging around with a bunch of old guys serving beans and fluffing chickens,'' Noha said. ``But a lot of those old-timers are really funny, and they've sort of adopted me.''

His fellow Ruritans look out for him, as well, he said.

``I got kicked in the face (during soccer practice) and before I ever got home from the hospital, I had several phone messages from the Ruritans wanting to know if I was all right,'' Noha said.

Noha is even a good sport about dressing up in a hot bear costume for charity.

``I can make a good time out of anything,'' Noha said. ``I guess I have a good sense of humor about it.'' ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by STEVE EARLEY

Michael Allen Noha sloughs off good-hearted teasing about his

association with Rotary Club old-timers. His volunteer projects have

included cleaning up around Deep Creek Locks Park, pulling

everything from old tires and, yes, a kitchen sink out of the

Elizabeth River.

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