[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 14 (Tuesday, February 15, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E148]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO JUSTIN KOREN

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                        HON. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 15, 2000

  Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate and honor 
a young student from my district in Florida who has achieved national 
recognition for exemplary volunteer service in his community. Justin 
Koren of Miami has just been named one of my State's top honorees in 
The 2000 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program, an annual honor 
conferred on the most impressive student in each State, the District of 
Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
  Mr. Koren, a senior at Coral Reef Senior High School, is being 
recognized for creating a volunteer teenage community theater group 
that brings the joys of live theater to others by performing at 
retirement homes, senior centers, day care centers, and migrant farms 
in the greater Miami area.
  In light of numerous statistics that indicate Americans today are 
less involved in their communities than they once were, it is 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 Mr. Koren are inspiring examples to all of us, and are 
among our brightest hopes for a better tomorrow.
  The program that brought this young role model to my 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 five years, the program has become the largest youth 
recognition effort based solely on community service, with nearly 
75,000 youngsters participating since its inception.
  Mr. Koren should be extremely proud to have been singled out from 
such a large group of dedicated volunteers. I heartily applaud Mr. 
Koren 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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