[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 112 (Friday, August 12, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: August 12, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                         TRIBUTE TO ERIC SOLNIN

                                 ______


                           HON. PETER T. KING

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, August 12, 1994

  Mr. KING. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to welcome young Eric Solnin and 
his family to Washington, DC. They will be visiting our Nation's 
capital later this month. Eric, a young man from the village of 
Plainview in my home district, has indeed performed a mitzvah. He was 
so deeply moved by the plight of New York Jets quarterback Boomer 
Esiason's son, Gunnar, who is afflicted with cystic fibrosis, that he 
donated half of his bar mitzvah gift money to the Cystic Fibrosis 
Foundation. His selfless act is an inspiration to people everywhere, 
proving that each of us can have it in our hearts to reach out and do 
our part to help make a difference.
  Eric not only helped to fight this dread disease through his generous 
donation, but through his action, helped to focus public attention on 
the fight to cure cystic fibrosis. He continues in that fight, and led 
a major walk-a-thon on Long Island to raise money for the Cystic 
Fibrosis Foundation this May.

               [From the New York Newsday, Nov. 4, 1993]

                     Boomer's Hero: Teen With Heart

                            (By Debby Wong)

       After Eric Solnin became a bar mitzvah last month he wasn't 
     quite sure what to do with all the money he received as 
     gifts.
       But then the 13-year-old Plainview boy saw Jets Quarterback 
     Boomer Esiason on ``Good Morning America,'' discussing cystic 
     fibrosis, the severe and often fatal lung disease. Esiason's 
     3-year-old son, Gunnar, has cystic fibrosis, and after 
     watching the show, Eric knew where some of the money would 
     go.
       Yesterday, Eric left Mattlin Middle School a bit early to 
     head over to the Jets' training complex at Hofstra University 
     where Eric gave Esiason a $4,176 check made out to the Cystic 
     Fibrosis Foundation, about half his bar mitzvah money.
       Eric said yesterday that he thought he had enough material 
     things and was thankful he had escaped a fire at his summer 
     camp without injury.
       ``I already had everything so I wanted to put it to a good 
     cause,'' he said. ``I saw a lot of coverage on Boomer and his 
     son. I knew cystic fibrosis had to be a bad thing.''
       A grinning Eric got to watch an hour of the Jets's practice 
     yesterday, and then handed the check to Esiason, who gave the 
     boy a Jets jersey with his number 7 on it, along with an 
     autographed football.
       ``He was little hero,'' said Esiason, ``As a parent of a CF 
     child, I can't say enough to thank Eric.''
       Eric's father Gil, said the donation was in character for 
     his son. ``Erie was always putting other people in front of 
     himself. He was always willing to share with others not as 
     fortunate as himself.'
       Eric, whose chief sport is tennis, said he hopes to be a 
     lawyer or news announcer when he gets older. As for the 
     money, he hopes the donation will help with research and in 
     finding a cure.
       And the other half of his bar mitzvah gifts? ``I'm going to 
     give to everyone else's bar mitzvah that I'm going to.''

              [From the New York Daily News, Nov. 4, 1993]

                          Jet Fan on the Money

                           (By Paul Needell)

       In September, five months after his 2-year-old son, Gunnar, 
     was diagnosed with the disease, Boomer Esiason created the 
     NFL Quarterback Challenge for Cystic Fibrosis.
       Since then, about $160,000 worth of donations have come in 
     to help battle the affliction. After practice yesterday at 
     Hofstra, Esiason was presented with one of the more touching 
     contributions.
       Thirteen-year-old Eric Solnin of Plainview, who was bar 
     mitzvahed on Oct. 9, donated half of the monetary gifts he 
     was bestowed for the occasion. His father's company chipped 
     in with another $1,000, and Eric handed Esiason a check for 
     $5,176.
       Boomer, in turn, gave Solnin an autographed ``ESIASON'' 
     Jets jersey, and autographed football and a tour of the 
     locker room. With his arm around the teenager, Esiason 
     introduced him to teammates as ``my friend Eric.''
       ``Well I thought about what I was going to do with the 
     money, and I couldn't think of anything,'' Solnin said. ``I 
     didn't really need it, so I wanted to give it to people who 
     needed it more than me.''
       Said Esiason: ``I've received four or five gestures similar 
     to this. It bodes well for the next generation. It's an 
     amazing thing that's taking place. It's the nice part of this 
     story. It's very heartwarming, to say the least.''
                                  ____


                 [From the New York Post, Nov. 4, 1993]

                        Young's Long Wait Ending

                          (By Mark Cannizzaro)

       In a gesture of enormus generosity, 13-year-old Eric Solnin 
     was so moved when he heard about Boomer Esiason's son, 
     Gunnar, being afflicted with Cystic Fibrosis, he donated 
     $5,176 to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
       Solnin, of Plainview, gave $4,176, which was half of his 
     Oct. 9 Bar Mitzvah gift money, and Seagram's, where his 
     father works, added $1,000 to it.
       ``I wanted to put it to a good cause and I didn't really 
     need it, so I wanted to give it to people who needed it more 
     than me,'' Solnin said.
       The youngster yesterday visited Esiason at Jets camp, where 
     he was given an autographed Esiason jersey, a ball and a tour 
     around the complex after practice.
       Several weeks into the season, Esiason formed the NFL 
     Quarterback Challenge for Cystic Fibrosis, Mitzvah, by the 
     way, means good deed.

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