[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 26 (Friday, February 12, 1999)]
[House]
[Pages H648-H649]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       OPTIMISM GETS THE JOB DONE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Hulshof) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. HULSHOF. Mr. Speaker, I have come to the floor of the United 
States House of Representatives this morning to talk about some big 
news in a small town in Missouri's Ninth Congressional district. That 
small town is Ashland, Missouri, in Southern Boone County.
  Now, Ashland is a community of just under 2,000 residents but today, 
Mr.

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Speaker, I want to single out 105 residents of that community, the 
Ashland Optimist Club, who are really making a tremendous impact in the 
lives of many more mid-Missourians.
  The Ashland Optimist Club is big news in my district because of the 
huge contribution it makes to the community. Now, the Ashland Optimist 
Club is one of 4,000 Optimist clubs in the United States and Canada, 
and was chartered in September of 1964 with only 24 members. Today the 
club has grown in numbers, still has an original charter member, Mr. 
Labmon Wren. Mr. Wren, who was once president of the club, has seen 
firsthand how the community of Ashland has really prospered by the 
dedication of those at the Ashland Optimist Club that he helped to 
establish.
  The motto of the club is, ``Friend of Youth.'' Here are just a few of 
the noteworthy accomplishments the club has made to give life to that 
motto. The Ashland Optimist Club has organized the youth basketball and 
soccer programs. In fact, Mr. Speaker, one of the local soccer teams 
will be competing in the national playoffs this summer.
  The club has built and donated two tennis courts near the city park. 
It operates a 32-team Little League baseball program. It purchased new 
band uniforms for the school marching band; owns and operates the 
Ashland community swimming pool, the only municipal pool in Missouri to 
utilize solar energy. The club has sponsored Boy Scouts for three 
decades.
  I also want to single out the club, Mr. Speaker, for praise in 
helping the general population of the community in several other ways. 
For example, when a local school nurse needed a tympometer to test the 
hearing of the elementary students and the school district budget did 
not quite allow for the purchase of one, the Ashland Optimist Club 
donated the equipment to the school. When the Southern Boone County 
Volunteer Fire Department needed the ``Jaws of Life'' to extricate 
accident victims from their vehicles, the club came to the rescue and 
purchased one for the department.

                              {time}  1015

  There are so many activities, food donations to needy families, 
scholarships for high school students, that the Ashland Optimist Club 
has taken on to improve the quality of life.
  The members have also done their part to save a life. Without a doubt 
the most meaningful fund-raising the club has produced were the fund-
raisers last year to help two residents win the fight against life-
threatening health conditions.
  A few month ago Mr. John Johnson, a local resident and club member, 
desperately needed a kidney transplant. The Ashland Optimist Club 
established a John Johnson Kidney Fund and raised over $7,000 to help 
defray medical and travel expenses.
  Just a few months ago in August, 4-year-old Tailor Heneisen was 
diagnosed with a cancerous tumor in her stomach. Without hesitation the 
Ashland Optimist Club sprang into action and organized an auction in 
her benefit. The club raised over $22,000 to help pay for her care and 
travel expenses. I am pleased to report that through the help and 
effort of the club, little Tailor's cancer is in remission after a long 
hard battle and several treatments of chemotherapy.
  These examples of small miracles performed by the Ashland Optimist 
Club prove how a small number of individuals in a community can really 
make a tremendous impact and better not only the lives of those within 
the community but all of those who live in mid-Missouri.
  Finally, Mr. Speaker, I wish to honor the club for its most crowning 
achievement for this new year. In 1992 the club constructed a 10,000 
square foot facility to build a community center on 20 acres in the 
city. The building has been the site of numerous wedding receptions and 
high school reunions, Friday night bingos. The facility also provides 
seniors a place to walk in cold winter months, and is the home court 
for the local basketball teams. On the grounds surrounding the facility 
are large soccer fields and the newly constructed rodeo arena that 
hosts the Missouri High School Rodeo Association rodeo.
  The Ashland Optimist Club constructed this facility after borrowing 
$330,000 for the project. Last month, Mr. Speaker, the club wrote their 
last check and paid their mortgage off. And on February 28th the club 
will be having a special community social and will be having a mortgage 
burning party.
  I am pleased to acknowledge that the club has been able to pay off 
their mortgage 13 years early due to the efforts of Carl and Lena Long 
and their STAR bingo team. The Longs and the STAR team diligently 
worked and promoted the club's weekly bingo game, which is the major 
form of fundraising for the club. Now that the facility is paid in 
full, the Ashland Optimist Club will have an additional $80,000 to 
$100,000 annually to continue to spend for the youth and community as a 
whole.
  Mr. Speaker, Carl and Lena Long, the STAR bingo team, and the entire 
club deserve special recognition for the years of hard work. And on 
behalf of the entire House of Representatives, I offer my commendation 
for a job well done.

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