[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 36 (Monday, March 19, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E387]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       INTRODUCTION OF THE PRUDENTIAL SPIRIT OF COMMUNITY AWARDS

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                             HON. DON YOUNG

                               of alaska

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, March 19, 2001

  Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate and 
honor a young student from Alaska who has achieved national recognition 
for exemplary volunteer service in her community. Kari Wise of 
Anchorage has just been named one of Alaska's top honorees in The 2001 
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. Wise is being recognized for developing a program designed to 
help middle school students lead healthy and positive lives as they 
begin high school. Her program, named ``View on Your Future Is All 
About YOU,'' helped young students realize destructive behavior is not 
the answer for dealing with difficult life experiences.
  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 the selfless contributions this young woman 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. Wise 
are inspiring all of us, and are among our brightest hopes for a better 
tomorrow.
  The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program brought this young 
role model to our attention. This program 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 
young volunteers that their contributions are critically important and 
highly valued. Over the past six years, the program has become the 
nation's largest youth effort based on community service, with an 
estimated 100,000 youngsters participating since its inception.
  We are extremely proud that Ms. Wise has been singled out from such a 
large group of dedicated volunteers. I applaud Ms. Wise 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. Clearly, 
she has demonstrated a level of commitment and accomplishment that 
deserves our sincere admiration and respect. Her actions show that 
young Americans can, and do, play an important role in our communities.

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