[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 137 (Thursday, October 17, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1913]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   HONORING MARY CIANCIO AND THE ADAMS COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH CENTER

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. MARK UDALL

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, October 16, 2002

  Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend the Adams 
Community Mental Health Center for their outstanding service and to 
honor one of their earliest and staunchest supporters, Mary Ciancio.
  Adams Community Mental Health Center is one of the most respected 
mental health service providers in the Denver-metro area. ACMHC has 
been providing high quality care to low income families and individuals 
in Adams County since 1957. They have given the gift of hope to over 
115,000 members of the community. ACMHC provides counseling to people 
who are having a difficult time dealing with life stress. They give 
people the tools they need to stop hurting themselves, their families 
and their communities. Countless people in the community owe a huge 
debt of thanks to ACMHC for helping loved ones and healing families. 
They provide an invaluable service to the community because helping 
people to lead mentally healthy lives uplifts the entire community.
  One person who believed this implicitly was Mary Ciancio. Mary 
Ciancio is one of the most respected citizens in Adams County history. 
Growing up, Mrs. Ciancio had to overcome many trials and tribulations. 
She overcame painful family tragedies. With dignity, she fought racism 
as she worked tirelessly and in her always-gentle way, to overcome 
prejudice against Catholics, against Italian-Americans, against people 
with disabilities and on behalf of community service. There is little 
doubt that these experiences helped shape her into the strong, 
compassionate altruist that she became. She helped the March of Dimes, 
the American Cancer Society and the Colorado Easter Seals, in addition 
to many other organizations.
  She had a special interest in helping people with mental illness. One 
of her top priorities was the Adams Community Mental Health Center. She 
was one of the Center's earliest supporters and sat on the Board of 
Directors for a number of years. The largest annual fund-raiser for the 
Center is the Mary Ciancio Memorial Golf & Tennis Tournament, the 
Tournament raises over $100,000 annually and was organized by her son, 
Don Ciancio, in 1981. ACMHC has honored her importance to the Center by 
naming its administrative building the Mary Ciancio Memorial Building.
  The support of Mary Ciancio was instrumental in helping to establish 
the Adams Community Mental Health Center. The Center has been of 
paramount importance to its community. The care that they have provided 
has given individuals hope and uplifted the community in the process. I 
ask my colleagues to join me today in thanking ACMHC for their good 
work and honoring the life of Mary Ciancio. Our community is better 
because of them.

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