[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 36 (Monday, March 19, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E388]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       INTRODUCTION OF THE PRUDENTIAL SPIRIT OF COMMUNITY AWARDS

                                 ______
                                 

                             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 his community. Justin Gonka 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.
  Mr. Gonka is being recognized for his dedication and continuous 
support of the Special Olympics. Justin has assumed numerous roles 
within the Special Olympics and hopes to one day become a coach. 
Besides being a great student, Justin has also helped to recruit other 
young people get involved and volunteer for the Special Olympics.
  In light of numerous statistics that indicate Americans 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 man 
has made. People of all ages need to think about how we, as individual 
citizens, can work together at the local level to ensure the health and 
vitality of our towns and next door neighbors. Young volunteers like 
Mr. Gonka are an inspiration 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 School Principals in 1995 to impress upon all 
young volunteers that their contributions are critically important and 
highly valued, and to inspire other young people to follow their 
example. Over the past six years, the program has become the nation's 
largest youth recognition effort based solely on community service, 
with nearly 100,000 youngsters participating since its inception.
  Mr. Gonka should be extremely proud to have been singled out from 
such a large group of dedicated volunteers. I applaud Mr. Gonka 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 an 
important role in our communities.

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