[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 115 (Thursday, September 12, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Page S8560]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     CHARACTER COUNTS AND ALBUQUERQUE'S SEPTEMBER 11 COMMEMORATION

 Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, I rise today to highlight the 
contributions of a community, dedicated to the spirit of the Character 
Counts education movement, in its commemoration of the first 
anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks on our Nation.
  The Nation as a whole this week took time to honor the victims, 
salute our military men and women fighting the war on terrorism, and 
reaffirm our faith and belief in our great Nation. New Mexico 
communities joined in this effort, not least among them our largest 
city, Albuquerque.
  I rise today to highlight Albuquerque's tribute because it fused the 
nearly decade-long effort to build character education into the day-to-
day life of the city with the community's desire to commemorate 
September 11.
  This week, some 4,200 Albuquerque school children simultaneously 
released helium-filled balloons as part of a ``Character Counts Soaring 
Spirits Salute'' to commemorate September 11. This balloon launch gave 
the students a chance to honor the people who lost their lives in last 
year's terrorist attacks.
  But the Character Counts rally had a second purpose. We designed this 
balloon launch to lead into the celebration of National Character Week. 
Supporters of the Character Counts initiative hope this will become a 
yearly observance built around September 11, and the purpose of the 
week is to celebrate the acts of kindness and courage we see in our 
communities every single day.
  The Character Counts Soaring Spirits Salute involved some outstanding 
New Mexico community leaders and business owners who worked together to 
make this event happen, and serve as evidence of a community working 
together to improve itself by promoting the tenets of good character. I 
am proud to say these are people who routinely rally behind our youth.
  I believe some deserve to be singled out, including: the New Mexico 
State Fair; Excel Staffing Companies; MCI; Albuquerque Public Schools, 
(APS); KISS-FM; Public Service Company of New Mexico; Valley 
Distributing; Greg Cook Productions; Dave Garduno of Garduno's 
Restaurants; as well as the men and women of the 58th Special 
Operations Wing and the New Mexico National Guard of Kirtland Air Force 
Base in Albuquerque.
  A measure of gratitude is also owed to a number of individuals, 
including: Gabe Garcia and Chris Montano of Duranes Elementary School; 
Judi Preston of Video Wizard; Eric Hampleman of Simmons Media; Steve 
Stucker of KOB-TV; Bill Wood of KRQE-TV; Bruce Bortner and Ed O'Leary 
of the Albuquerque Character Counts Leadership Council; Carole Smith of 
APS; Terry Eisenbart of Southwest Airlines, who sponsored State Fair 
festivities for the day.
  I am very fortunate to represent a community like Albuquerque where I 
know we can always count on daily acts of Respect, Responsibility, 
Trustworthiness, Citizenship, Fairness and Caring. Those are the 
pillars of Character Counts, and it's why today I congratulate and I 
deeply thank my neighbors in New Mexico for their daily acts of 
kindness, courage, and character as we mark our progress as a nation 
and a united community a year after the terrible attacks on our 
Nation.

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