[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 20 (Tuesday, February 29, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E183]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        HONORING CARA RAINWATER

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. TOM DeLAY

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 29, 2000

  Mr. DeLAY. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to congratulate and honor 
a young Texas student from my district who has achieved national 
recognition for exemplary volunteer service in her community. Cara 
Rainwater of Missouri City 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 volunteers in 
each state, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
  Ms. Rainwater, a senior at Lawrence Elkins High School and an active 
community volunteer, is being recognized for serving as a peer 
counselor for burn victims at Camp Phoenix, a summer camp sponsored by 
the Burn Children Recovery Foundation.
  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 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 Ms. Rainwater 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 our attention--The 
Prudential Spirit of Community Awards--was created by the Prudential 
Insurance Company of America in partnership with the National 
Association of Secondary Schools 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 nation's 
largest youth recognition effort based solely on community service, 
with nearly 75,000 youngsters participating since its inception.
  Ms. Rainwater should be extremely proud to have been singled out from 
such a large group of dedicated volunteers. Mr. Speaker, I heartily 
applaud Ms. Rainwater for her initiative in seeking to make her 
community a better place to live, and for the positive impact she has 
had on the lives of others. She has demonstrated a level of commitment 
and accomplishment that is truly extraordinary in today's world, and 
deserves our sincere admiration and respect. Her 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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