[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 33 (Wednesday, March 3, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Page S2229]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     TRIBUTE TO STUDENT VOLUNTEERS

 Mr. SMITH of Oregon. Mr. President, I rise today to 
congratulate and honor two young Oregonians who have received national 
recognition for exemplary volunteer service in their communities. Mr. 
Cody Hill of Portland and Mr. Quinn Wilhelmi of Eugene have recently 
been named State Honorees from Oregon in the 1999 Prudential Spirit of 
Community Awards program, an annual honor confered on only one high 
school student and one middle-level student in each state, the District 
of Columbia and Puerto Rico.
  Mr. Cody Hill, nominated by Lincoln High School, created and 
currently coordinates a program called ``Guns Aren't Fun,'' a toy gun 
trade-in event to encourage kids to trade in their toy guns for other 
non-violent toys. His idea is currently being developed into a non-
profit organization to spread the message of non-violence across the 
country. Due to Cody's hard work and determination, more than one 
hundred toy guns have been turned in during two trade-in events. Cody 
has worked closely with local non-profit organizations and, to date, he 
has collected over $13,000 for the purchase of new toys. Cody has also 
received recognition in local newspaper detailing his volunteer work.
  Mr. Quinn Wilhelmi, nominated by Roosevelt Middle School, began a 
tutoring program with fifth grade students in his former elementary 
school. Quinn's program works to develop the student's writing skills 
by helping them compose their autobiographies. Through his initiative, 
Quinn was able to recruit several of his classmates to join in this 
effort as well, and he has made a tremendous impact on several younger 
students while working as a writing mentor.
  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. Young volunteers like Cody and Quinn are inspiring 
examples to us all, and are among our brightest hopes for a better 
tomorrow. I applaud them for their initiative in seeking to make their 
communities better places to live, and for the positive impact that 
they had on the lives of others. In recognition of their efforts, Cody 
and Quinn will come to Washington, DC in early May, along with other 
1999 Spirit of Community honorees from across the country. While in 
Washington, ten students will be named America's top youth volunteers 
of the year by a distinguished national selection committee.
  I would also like to recognize four other young Oregonians who were 
recognized as Distinguished Finalists for their outstanding volunteer 
service: April Choate of Bend, Jennifer Fletcher of Portland, Julia 
Hyde of Portland, and Tiffany Wright of Springfield. They deserve high 
praise for their hard work and determination in helping others in their 
communities.
  It is clear that these young people have demonstrated a level of 
commitment and accomplishment that is truly extraordinary, and I 
believe they 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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