[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 65 (Thursday, May 6, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E881]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


 CONGRATULATING RUSS BERRIE ON BEING NAMED HONORARY CITIZEN OF THE YEAR

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MARGE ROUKEMA

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 6, 1999

  Mrs. ROUKEMA. Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate Russ Berrie on 
being named Honorary Citizen of the Year by the Oakland (New Jersey) 
Republican Club. Mr. Berrie's millions of dollars of contributions to a 
wide variety of worthy causes makes him one of the most active and 
prominent philanthropists in our state. In fact, Fortune magazine has 
called him one of the 40 most generous people in the nation. But Mr. 
Berrie is appreciated for more than just his monetary contributions. 
This Citizen of the Year award reflects his sincere concern about the 
well being of the community and his true commitment to helping others. 
He has supported causes as varied as religion, medicine, education and 
the arts.
  Mr. Berrie is chairman and chief executive officer of Russ Berrie and 
Company Inc., an internationally successful business empire 
specializing in novelty items and ``lifestyle gifts.'' Mr. Berrie 
founded the company in 1963 while working as a manufacturer's 
representative. Today, it is the premier company in its field 
worldwide, with offices and distribution centers in Cranbury, New 
Jersey; Petaluma, Calif.; Canada and England. The firm also has offices 
in Hong Kong, China, Korea and Taiwan. It has 1,600 employees around 
the globe.
  In addition to running a successful business, Mr. Berrie devotes his 
talents and energy to a number of charitable causes. Most recently, his 
many contributions have included a $5 million donation to the Englewood 
Hospital and Medical Center Foundation and $13.5 million for the 
College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University.
  In addition, he has supported the Russell and Angelica Berrie Early 
Childhood Wing at the Jewish Community Center on the Palisades, the 
Russ Berrie Building for the Center for Strategic Studies at the 
College of Judea and Samaria in Israel, and the Angelica and Russell 
Berrie Center for Performing and Visual Arts at Ramapo College. I am 
particularly proud to have worked with Mr. Berrie on the Center for 
Performing and Visual Arts project, which was partly funded by a 
$500,000 grant I obtained from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban 
Development. He and Mrs. Berrie have been staunch supporters of Ramapo 
College.
  Mr. Berrie has also established the Russell Berrie Foundation, which 
sponsors the ``Making a Difference Award'' to recognize unsung New 
Jersey heroes who have made contributions to their communities or 
performed heroic acts.
  Chairman of the Center for Inter-religious Understanding, Mr. Berrie 
also serves on the boards of New York University's Leonard Stern School 
of Business, United Retail Group, the Jewish Community Center and the 
John Harms Center for the Arts. He has received almost two dozen awards 
and honorary degrees from universities, cities, religious groups and 
organizations across the country.
  Mr. Berrie and his wife, Angelica, live in Englewood. They have six 
children.
  Mr. Berrie is an outstanding example of a philanthropist. His 
kindness and generosity have benefited thousands in fields from 
education to medicine to the arts. He has taken the saying ``share the 
wealth'' to heart, and seen to it that his success in business helps 
countless others as well. I ask my colleagues in the House of 
Representatives to congratulate Mr. Berrie on being named Honorary 
Citizen of the Year and in wishing him the best for the future.

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