[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 121 (Tuesday, July 25, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Page S10663]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                       HONORING BRUCE A. PERCELAY

 Mr. KERRY. Mr. President, Bruce Percelay celebrated his 40th 
birthday yesterday, and I ask my colleagues to join me in extending him 
our deepest congratulations and our sincere best wishes for the future.
  Mr. President, Bruce Percelay is a special person. He is a man who 
has made a difference to Massachusetts. He is one of those rare 
individuals who has enjoyed personal success, but takes time to give 
something back. He is one of the most respected and appreciated civic 
leaders of greater Boston, and his charitable works are of enormous 
consequence to our community.
  Some in my State know Bruce Percelay because of his dedication and 
hard work to his profession. He is a recognized expert in real estate 
investment, renovation, and marketing, and, in fact, has written a book 
based on his real estate experience which made the list of Boston's top 
selling business books. He has appeared on television and has been 
quoted in magazines and newspapers around the country for his wit and 
wisdom.
  But, others know Bruce Percelay for something perhaps more important. 
They know him for the work he has done to give young people a chance. 
They know him for what he has done to make a difference in the lives of 
people, and in the life of our community.
  As President of the Boston chapter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, 
Bruce has, through his creativity and hard work, made sure that the 
Foundation is strong enough to survive for years to come. He has 
increased the Foundation's financial reserves by 400 percent, and found 
it a permanent home in a new, prime, downtown office location.
  He has overseen the development of a permanent charter and a 5-year 
strategic plan, expanded the board of directors, improved the quality 
of the foundation's special events and was successful in recruiting 
another well-known Massachusetts native to serve as chairperson, Carly 
Simon.
  Mr. President, Bruce Percelay is a very special human being who cares 
deeply for his community and for people who need a helping hand. Let me 
tell Bruce's greatest achievement as president of Make-A-Wish, and a 
touching story that has affected all of us in Massachusetts. Bruce was 
single-handedly responsible for granting the largest of all wishes ever 
granted by Make-A-Wish worldwide.
  He arranged, Mr. President, for a family with two terminally ill 
children and no father to own there own home without a mortgage. The 
children have since died, and the mother is raising her two remaining 
children in the home.
  Bruce worked and worked and worked to grant the wish of the oldest 
child for his mother to have a place to live after he died; and he made 
it happen.
  Because of Bruce Percelay, Mr. President, the Boston chapter of Make-
A-Wish is one of the fastest growing of the 80 chapters in the United 
States. And I would ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the 
extraordinary contribution Bruce has made to Make-A-Wish, but that's 
not all he has done.
  A program near and dear to my heart, as you well know, Mr. President, 
has also benefitted from the community spirit of Bruce Percelay. 
Because of his efforts YouthBuild Boston is an extraordinarily 
successful inner-city youth development program that has helped 
hundreds of at-risk kids become self-sufficient through education and 
personal character development.
  Bruce first became involved with YouthBuild in February, 1993, just 
about 2\1/2\ years ago. Since then Bruce has been the driving force 
behind a critical fund-raising component that may ultimately provide 50 
percent of YouthBuild's financial support reducing its dependence on 
Federal funding-though successful and proven programs like YouthBuild 
should never lose the support of this Congress.
  What Bruce did was not easy, and, in fact, it was it was an 
innovative and persuasive approach that assured community participation 
and a partnership for success.
  Through his persistence and his perseverance he brought YouthBuild 
together with Boston's banking community and established a board of 
advisors who agreed to become sponsors of the organization, and 
together they have raised $500,000 to buy and renovate a site that will 
be YouthBuild's permanent home.
  Because of Bruce's hands-on participation and commitment, a recent 
event for YouthBuild at the Kennedy Library in Boston had an 
unprecedented turnout of over 500 business people to launch this major 
fund-raising effort.
  Mr. President, Bruce Percelay knows what citizenship means. He values 
service and has a commitment to creating the kind of partnerships 
necessary to make community programs succeed and grow. He is a worker, 
a giver, a doer, and, perhaps, a little bit of a dreamer who has helped 
to rekindle the flame of hope and restore the spirit of community in 
each of us in Massachusetts.
  His good-will and good deeds should be an example for all of us, in 
every state, in every community who believe in giving something back 
and trying to make a difference in the lives of those who need a hand.
  Mr. President, on this, his 40th birthday, I think it is fitting for 
the United States Senate to recognize, congratulate, and honor Bruce 
Percelay, and to wish him continued personal success, good health, and 
many, many more years in which to enjoy them.


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