[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 54 (Thursday, May 4, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E640]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   MS. ARACELY GURROLA, A PRUDENTIAL SPIRIT OF COMMUNITY AWARD WINNER

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                             HON. ED PASTOR

                               of arizona

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 4, 2000

  Mr. PASTOR. Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate and honor a 
young Arizona student from my district who has achieved national 
recognition for outstanding volunteer service in her community. Ms. 
Aracely Gurrola of Phoenix 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. An eighth grader 
at Lowell Elementary School, Aracely is being recognized for having 
initiated ``Line Up to Help,'' a fund-raising project at her school to 
benefit victims of Hurricane Mitch. An active community volunteer on 
projects such as clean-ups, food drives, and car-wash fund-raisers, she 
felt compelled to do something special after watching news reports of 
the devastation Hurricane Mitch had left behind. She approached her 
principal and received approval to collect change from fellow students 
for two days as school let out. Aracely coordinated her efforts with 
the local St. Vincent DePaul Society, which made arrangements to get 
the donations into the right hands. Then she recruited several student 
volunteers to help her with flyers promoting the fund-raiser and to 
collect the money. In just two days, she collected $250 in loose change 
from fellow students, money that most students would usually spend on 
candy. Aracely should be extremely proud to have been singled out from 
such a large group of dedicated volunteers. I heartily applaud her for 
her initiative in seeking to make a positive impact 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 play 
important roles in our communities, and that America's community spirit 
continues to hold tremendous promise for the future.

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