[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 48 (Monday, April 27, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Page S3660]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          RECOGNIZING ARIZONA'S TOP TWO 1998 YOUTH VOLUNTEERS

 Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, I would like to congratulate and 
honor two young Arizona students who have achieved national recognition 
for exemplary volunteer service in their communities. Eliza Robinson of 
Scottsdale and Jason Kelley of Prescott have just been named State 
honorees in the 1998 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program, an 
annual honor conferred on only one high school student and one middle 
school student in each state, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.
  Ms. Eliza Robinson is being recognized for her many years of 
dedication and service to the Multiple Sclerosis Society, culminating 
with a term as spokesman for that wonderful organization.
  Mr. Kelley is being recognized for his efforts to start a Youth 
Chamber of Commerce. Jason's organization will give other young people 
in his community the opportunity to participate in Chamber events 
similar to those sponsored by their local Chamber of Commerce, as well 
as interact with business leaders from the area.
  In light of numerous statistics that indicate Americans today are 
less involved in their communities than they once were, it's vital that 
we encourage and support the kind of selfless contributions these young 
people have made. People of all ages need to think more about how we, 
as individual citizens, can work together at the local level to ensure 
the health and vitality of our towns and neighborhoods. Young 
volunteers like Mr. Kelley and Ms. Robinson are inspiring examples to 
all of us, and are among our brightest hopes for a better tomorrow.
  The program that brought these young role models to our attention--
The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards--was created by the 
Prudential Insurance Company of America in partnership with the 
National Association of Secondary School Principals in 1995 to impress 
upon all youth volunteers that their contributions are critically 
important and highly valued and to inspire other young people to follow 
their example. In only three years, the program has become the nation's 
largest youth recognition effort based solely on community service, 
with more than 30,000 youngsters participating.
  Ms. Robinson and Mr. Kelley should be extremely proud to have been 
singled out from such a large group of dedicated volunteers. As part of 
their recognition, they will come to Washington in early May, along 
with other 1998 honorees from across the country, for several days of 
special events, including a Congressional breakfast reception on 
Capitol Hill. While in Washington, ten will be named America's top 
youth volunteers of the year by a distinguished national selection 
committee co-chaired by our colleagues, Senators Bob Kerrey of Nebraska 
and Tim Hutchinson of Arkansas.
  I heartily applaud Mr. Kelley and Ms. Robinson for their initiative 
in seeking to make their communities better places to live, and for the 
positive impact they have had on the lives of others. I also would like 
to salute four other young people in my state who were named 
Distinguished Finalists by the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards 
for their outstanding volunteer service. They are: Chrissy Weiers of 
Maricopa, who has demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to make her 
peers aware of the dangers of drugs; Christina Barela of Glendale, who 
helped organize a day camp for elementary school girls; Purvi Patel of 
Yuma, who designed and built a park adjacent to her school with five 
peers from the Gifted and Talented Education Program; and Tirzah Orcutt 
of Phoenix, who created a volunteer project to paint a mural on the 
Veterans Administration Medical Nursing Home Care unit in Phoenix.
  All these young people have demonstrated a level of commitment and 
accomplishment that is truly extraordinary in today's world, and 
deserve our sincere admiration and respect. Their actions show that 
young Americans can--and do--play important roles in their communities, 
and that America's community spirit continues to hold tremendous 
promise for the future.

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