Lucas Rojas '28 Named a 2026 Barron Prize Winner

Christopher Columbus High School is proud to announce that Lucas Rojas, President of CCHS LINK, has been named one of the 2026 winners of the Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes for founding LINKball: Kickball for All, an inclusive kickball league for individuals with special needs.

The Gloria Barron Prize is a national award that recognizes young people who have made a significant positive difference in their communities and the environment. Each year, only 15 winners are selected from across the United States and Canada. Lucas was chosen from more than 750 second-round applicants, and the honor includes a $10,000 award that he can put toward his college education and his continued service work.

LINKball began right here at Columbus. As an eighth grader, Lucas volunteered alongside John-Barry Bertematti and Benji Blackburn and CCHS LINK at an inclusive charity kickball game for the WOW Center, and came away wondering why an experience like that couldn't happen more than once a year. By the spring of his freshman year, he had turned that question into a program of his own.

What started with four teams, 40 student volunteers, and 20 players with special needs has grown into a league of six teams, more than 60 student volunteers, and over 40 players with special needs. LINKball gives visiting players a team to belong to, friendships to build, and the simple joy of playing the game, while giving Columbus students the chance to lead, serve, and form genuine relationships.