Local Girl Up for Teen Choice Award

Vancouver’s Dallas Jessup is one of nine young people nominated for the Do Something Award, presented at the Teen Choice Awards, which airs Aug. 4 on the Fox Television Network.

Jessup, 16, was chosen a finalist for writing and producing a self-defense film, “Just Yell Fire.” The film provides instructions on what women should do to defend themselves if assaulted. More than 400,000 free copies of the film have been distributed throughout the world.

Jessup receives $10,000 as a finalist in the noncelebrity category of the Teen Choice Awards.

The winner will be chosen through online voting at Dosomething.org and will receive $100,000 during a presentation on the awards show.

The nomination is the latest kudos for Jessup, who has appeared on Montel Williams’ television talk show to promote the film and has been a finalist in several other awards programs.

Jessup was one of 18 finalists in the CNN Hero awards last year and earned $10,000 as a finalists in the Volvo Life Awards in the exceptional child hero category.

Other awards include being named one of five 2008 National Caring Award Young Adult winners, and she was a semifinalist in the 2008 Huggable Heroes search sponsored by the Build-A-Bear Workshop International Community Service Program.

Originally published by The Columbian.

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