[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 24 (Tuesday, March 10, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E339]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        CARING AND SHARING, INC.

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. MICHAEL F. DOYLE

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 10, 1998

  Mr. DOYLE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize an organization in 
my district that's doing amazing work for veterans in Western 
Pennsylvania, Sharing and Caring, Inc.
  Sharing and Caring is an all volunteer organization dedicated to 
helping our nation's most important heroes, our veterans. Each year, 
Sharing and Caring organizes a cruise on Pittsburgh's rivers for 
hospitalized veterans. The event gives these veterans an opportunity to 
spend a day outside the hospital, but it's also an opportunity for our 
entire community to honor the service of our veterans by sponsoring, or 
``adopting'', a veteran for the boat ride.
  In 1985, the first year of this event, Sharing and Caring's river 
boat cruise benefitted over 500 veterans. Today, that number has 
doubled, allowing more than 1,000 veterans to take part in the day's 
events. This effort to give veterans a ``holiday'' outside of their 
normal hospital environments deserves acknowledgment and commendation.
  The people who started this event, however, deserve just as much 
praise. As a hospital volunteer, Bernard Pack, who himself is a veteran 
of World War II and Korea, was dismayed by the sight of so many 
veterans spending their days watching television inside hospital wards. 
His desire to bring something special to the lives of his comrades 
propelled him and fellow volunteers Robert Riethmiller and David Gool 
to organize the first river boat cruise. Out of this event, Sharing and 
Caring, Inc. was formed, and the organization has gone on to help 
numerous hospitalized veterans.
  I want to extend my personal thanks and best wishes to Bernie, Robert 
and David for the time, energy and effort they put into creating Caring 
and Sharing. And I also want to thank all the volunteers that keep the 
organization going. Your efforts to help our veterans is an inspiration 
to us all.

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