[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 78 (Thursday, June 13, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Page S5529]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     RECOGNIZING MRS. KATHY IRELAND

  Mr. LOTT. Madam President, since age 17 Mrs. Kathy Ireland has been 
blessed to have assembled an illustrious career as an actress, 
supermodel, and vocalist. Her numerous talents have afforded her the 
opportunity to be regularly featured on the covers of such prestigious 
magazines as Cosmopolitan, People, Glamour, McCalls, and Redbook. 
Likewise, her inherent capabilities have provided her with the good 
fortune to appear as a special guest on nationally renowned television 
programs such as The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Today Show, Oprah, 
Entertainment Tonight, and Access Hollywood. This abundance of 
accolades has established Mrs. Ireland as a public figure of world-wide 
fame and recognition.
  My purpose here today is not to recognize Mrs. Ireland for her 
extreme number of personal achievements, impressive as they are, but 
rather to expand on the manner in which she uses the fame and 
recognition gained from such accomplishments as a medium by which to 
make charitable contributions to our local and national communities. As 
I will bring to your attention in the next few minutes, Mrs. Ireland's 
personal accomplishments pale in comparison to the number of ways in 
which she gives back to our communities, both local and Nation wide.
  I was made aware of Mrs. Ireland's benevolent character just 
recently, as it was brought to my attention that she was responsible 
for sending an eighteen wheeler filled with enough food to feed 1600 
needy families for two weeks to Monroe County in my home State of 
Mississippi. This is the second consecutive year Mrs. Ireland has sent 
the Holiday Food Truck to aid Mississippians in need. In 2000, the 
truck was dispersed to the northwest region of Mississippi, also known 
as the Mississippi Delta. A philanthropic concert entitled ``Stars Over 
Mississippi'' is held biannually for the purpose of raising funds to be 
allocated towards increasing the educational opportunities available to 
the children of Mississippi. Mrs. Ireland has further benefitted my 
State by selflessly devoting her time to perform in many of these 
concerts. Mrs. Ireland has also asserted herself as a benevolent 
benefactress of the state of Mississippi, by donating many thousands of 
dollars worth of children's furniture, on behalf of Mary and Sam 
Haskell, to Sela Ward's Hope Village Orphanage located in Meridian, MS.
  It should be duly noted that Mrs. Ireland's generosity, patronage, 
and charity is not limited to benefitting communities located in my 
home State of Mississippi. Examples of Mrs. Ireland's commitment to 
community service on a national scale include currently serving as 
Ambassador of both Women's Health Issues and the National Women's 
Cancer Research Alliance on behalf of the Entertainment Industry 
Foundation. Mrs. Ireland also holds the title of National Chair of 
Family Services and Parenting for the Athletes and Entertainers For 
Kids non-profit organization. As chairperson she personally sees to it 
that AEFK's mission of empowering our youth through mentoring 
partnerships and positive experiences is achieved. Mrs. Ireland also 
joins with an organization called Feed The Children each holiday 
season, in supervising the dissemination of over 170,000 pounds of 
clothing, food, and toys to needy children nationwide. Mrs. Ireland is 
a long-standing supporter of the Special Olympics, and has played an 
integral role in the establishment and continued development and 
success of the Dream Foundation, which provides terminally ill adults 
with the resources necessary to fulfill a special dream or be granted a 
final wish.
  Despite her responsibilities associated with being a loving wife, 
devoted mother of two, Sunday school teacher, clothes designer, 
supermodel, actress, and vocalist, Mrs. Ireland expresses and executes 
an unequivocal desire to champion the causes of others. I take great 
personal pride and gain tremendous fulfillment in recognizing Mrs. 
Kathy Ireland before you on the Senate floor this day, and encourage 
all Americans possessing the will, desire, and resources to do so, to 
live according to her example.

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