[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 37 (Wednesday, March 29, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1880-S1881]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SOUTHEASTERN MICHIGAN CHAPTER OF THE AMERICAN RED CROSS SEVENTH ANNUAL 
                    RHAPSODY IN RED MASQUERADE BALL

 Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. President, on April 1, 2000, the Southeastern 
Michigan Chapter of the American Red Cross will hold its seventh annual 
Rhapsody in Red Masquerade Ball, a celebration which allows its patrons 
to enjoy themselves and to support one of the most noble causes our 
country has ever known at the same time. I rise today not only to honor 
this occasion, but also to bestow praise and thanks upon an 
organization that truly deserves both.
  Since 1994, this annual gala has raised over one million dollars for 
the Southeastern Michigan Chapter. The Rhapsody in Red Masquerade Ball 
plays a significant role in allowing this chapter to continue its 
disaster relief efforts in Macomb, Oakland, and Wayne counties. The 
annual event also provides members of the community with an opportunity 
to recognize the tireless efforts of the administrative staff and the 
volunteers of the Southeastern Michigan Chapter, and to appropriately 
thank them for these efforts.
  In 1999 alone, the Southeastern Michigan Chapter provided disaster 
relief to more than 6,000 individuals. More than 14,000 volunteers 
offered their time to the chapter, collectively working more than 
500,000 hours. I am proud to say that, of the fifty states, Michigan 
ranks fourth in the nation for exporting volunteers into emergency 
zones, and the efforts and organization of the Southeastern Michigan 
Chapter undoubtedly play a role in this success. In addition, through 
its Blanket Days for the Homeless Campaign, an operation spearheaded by 
fourteen volunteers, the Southeastern Michigan Chapter collected over 
13,000 blankets, which were then distributed to seventy homeless 
shelters in Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties. Recently, in response 
to an increase in residential fires, the Southeastern Michigan Chapter 
maintained 24-hour Disaster Action Teams, formed from a pool of sixty-
four trained volunteers.
  Mr. President, as I was preparing this statement I was reminded once 
again of the essential role the American Red Cross plays in our 
communities. Born from the mythic efforts of Clara Barton during the 
Civil War, the organization currently has more than 1.3 million 
volunteers working underneath its banner, providing disaster relief 
services for victims of more than 66,000 disasters per year. More 
importantly, the American Red Cross still holds firm to the principles 
it was founded upon. Its mission remains to prevent and alleviate human 
suffering wherever it may

[[Page S1881]]

be found. That is why, when things are at their worst, it continues to 
be the American Red Cross and its volunteers that are there to make 
them better.
  Mr. President, I applaud the administrative staff and volunteers of 
the Southeastern Michigan Chapter of the American Red Cross for their 
remarkable efforts. Every day they remind the people of Michigan that 
the spirit of Clara Barton is alive and well. On behalf of the entire 
United States Senate, I hope that the Red Rhapsody Masquerade Ball is a 
success for a seventh time.

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