[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 26 (Friday, February 12, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E234]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          BENJAMIN WOMICK--NATIONAL VOLUNTEER AWARD RECIPIENT

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JIM DeMINT

                           of south carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, February 12, 1999

  Mr. DeMINT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate and honor a 
young South Carolinian from my district who has achieved national 
recognition for exemplary volunteer service in his community. Benjamin 
Womick of Spartanburg has just been named one of my state's top 
honorees in The 1999 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program, an 
annual honor conferred on the most impressive student volunteers in the 
nation.
  Ben, a senior at Daniel Morgan Vocational Center, is the youngest 
commissioned state fire marshal in South Carolina history. He has 
helped to save three houses from destruction, aided in medical 
assistance calls, and helped many people injured in accidents as a 
firefighter with a volunteer fire department. Since joining the 
department at age 17, he has dedicated an average of 2 hours a day to 
his responsibilities, recruited five friends to become firefighters, 
and signed up for nearly 350 hours of training.
  In light of numerous statistics that indicate Americans today are 
less involved in their communities than they once were, I believe it's 
vital that we encourage and support the kind of selfless contribution 
this young citizen has 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 Ben are inspiring examples to all of us, and are 
among our brightest hope for a better tomorrow.
  The program that brought this young role model to our attention--The 
Prudential Spirit of Community Awards--was created by The Prudential 
Insurance Corporation 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 4 years, the program has become the nation's largest 
youth recognition effort based solely on community service, with more 
than 50,000 youngsters participating.
  Ben should be extremely proud to have been singled out from such a 
large group of dedicated volunteers. I heartily applaud Ben for his 
initiative in seeking to make his community a better place to live, and 
for the positive impact he has had on the lives of others. He has 
demonstrated a level of commitment and accomplishment that is truly 
extraordinary in today's world, and deserves our sincere admiration and 
respect. His actions show that young Americans can--and do--play 
important roles in our communities, and that America's community spirit 
continues to hold tremendous promise for the future.

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