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Darnell Lee Jr., who was raised in Franklin, received special recognition during the Grand Opening Celebration of the city’s new Wawa store on Sept. 22. Wawa Area Manager Alex Mwale said, “We love to honor some members of the community that do great work, so today we are excited to honor one extraordinary member of the community who goes above and beyond every day for our youth in the community and was nominated as our Community Day Brightener.” Lee, who is founder and executive director of Down the Middle Foundation, was the honoree. As noted on the foundation’s website, the organization was formed out of the passion Lee has for his community and for children in general. In 2009, he began to serve his community and bridge the gap in hunger through the Lending a Hand Community Initiative. The mission of his foundation is “to support the character development and athletic skills of youth through community service, mentorship, team building and sports education.” We commend Lee, along with Wawa, for everything he does to help the youth of the Franklin area. He is seen in the picture receiving a prize from Franklin Wawa General Manager Stacie Langley as Wawa mascot Wally Goose waits in the background to present Lee with a $500 check from Wawa to the Down the Middle Foundation. (Send “Way to Go!” photos with a description and names to editor@TheTidewaterNews.com.)