[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 75 (Monday, June 10, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Page S5283]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       TRIBUTE TO THE CARDINAL CHAPTER OF THE AMERICAN RED CROSS

 Mr. BUNNING. Mr. President, today I thank and honor the 
Cardinal Chapter of the American Red Cross of Henderson, Kentucky for 
the selfless and tireless work they performed in aiding the victims of 
the April 28th tornado which tore through Webster County, Kentucky.
  Early Sunday on the morning of April 28th, an F3 classified tornado, 
with winds up to 200 miles per hour, violently forced its way through 
Providence, KY hitting at least 114 homes, completely destroying 32. In 
the end, 26 people were taken to the hospital. In just a few moments, 
Mother Nature had struck a blow against this normally quiet and 
peaceful town. People were left without homes and without adequate 
clothing and food supplies. They were also left without a sense of 
hope. However, this empty and lonely feeling would be short-lived. 
Volunteers from the Cardinal Chapter of the American Red Cross of 
Henderson, KY arrived on the scene just a few hours after the tornado 
passed through Providence.
  Once on the scene, these volunteers wasted no time in setting up two 
shelters in Providence, providing victims with a roof, a hot meal, and 
a shoulder to cry on. They also sent food trucks to the nearby town of 
Irvington once they found out its residents were still without 
electricity hours after the storm had passed. Without the immediate 
assistance of the American Red Cross, many would have been left hungry 
without a home or clothing.
  I aks that my fellow colleagues join me in thanking these men and 
women for their unwavering dedication and commitment to their fellow 
citizens. They willingly gave up their time and left their families in 
order to be there physically and emotionally for people they have never 
met before. I believe we all can learn something from their exemplary 
behavior. Sometimes it takes the worst to bring out the best, and I 
think this was the case on April 28.

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