[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 177 (Wednesday, December 19, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2334]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page E2334]]
     TRIBUTE TO THE STUDENTS AND STAFF OF BECKEMEYER GRADE SCHOOL, 
                          HILLSBORO, ILLINOIS

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                           HON. JOHN SHIMKUS

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 18, 2001

  Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the students 
and staff of Beckemeyer Grade School in Hillsboro, Illinois, and the 
heartwarming project they undertook to bring comfort to the victims of 
the recent tragedies.
  The attacks of September 11th were a horrible shock to everyone in 
the United States, but to none were they more devastating than to the 
victims and their families. American hearts went out to those who would 
now have to struggle on without the light and laughter of their loved 
ones who had died. The outpouring of support for these families was 
enormous, like a bright light of kindness that shone out through the 
darkness of the disaster. Money, well-wishes and prayers poured in from 
all across the nation.
  Mr. Speaker, the students and staff of Beckemeyer Grade School were 
part of that outpouring. They purchased several thousand small, glass 
figurines, called Comfort Angels. These beautiful angels were meant to 
bring hope and well-wishes to all who viewed them. The people of 
Hillsboro, lead by their coordinator Pamela Hopper, then set an 
ambitious goal: to distribute an angel to the families of every victim 
of the tragedy.
  They have come astonishingly close to that goal--thousands of Comfort 
Angels have been distributed to families all over the world. They have 
found their way to embassies, fire stations, Congressional offices, and 
homes in New York and Washington. Two thousand of them were distributed 
by the Salvation Army alone, at the Memorial for the Pentagon on 
October 11th. And the results have been equally amazing. Letters have 
poured into Hillsboro, filled with thanks and touching stories.
  Mr. Speaker, I am convinced that the terrorists of September wished 
to divide and demoralize our country. Instead, in many ways they have 
energized us and brought us closer together. The amazing success of the 
people of Beckemeyer Grade School is a wonderful example of this--their 
faith and hard work has allowed them to make a difference in many 
lives, and they deserve my thanks and the thanks of these chambers.

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