[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 137 (Thursday, October 17, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1888]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                         HONORING DAWN SHANNON

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. JAMES P. McGOVERN

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, October 16, 2002

  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Dawn Shannon, who 
has been selected by FOR Special Friends, Inc. as the recipient of the 
13th Annual Sheriff's Community Service Award.
  From 1972 to 2002, Mrs. Shannon was a vital part of the Shrewsbury 
Parks and Recreation Department in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts. During 
her 30-year career, she helped to make the Department one of the best 
in the State, providing recreational activities for students, adults, 
and those with special needs.
  Through her dedication, and the devotion of the late Paula Rourke, 
many residents with special needs joined basketball teams, learned to 
throw a softball, and were able to learn the joy of being a member of a 
team--many for the first time. She organized Christmas parties, dances, 
sleepovers, and Valentine socials. Busloads would leave the Shrewsbury 
Town Hall for Boston's duck tours in the summer and skiing at Ward Hill 
in the winter.
  The program also supported Special Olympics and helped provide 
uniforms and celebration banquets. An advocate for ``Stepping Stones 
Community Theatre'' and a member of the Board of FOR Special Friends, 
Inc., Dawn's energy never seems to fade when working for the special 
needs community.
  Mr. Speaker, I am certain that the entire U.S. House of 
Representatives joins me in congratulating Dawn Shannon for her stellar 
work for the residents of the Town of Shrewsbury and wishes her the 
best of luck and happiness in all her future endeavors.

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