[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 12 (Wednesday, February 4, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E110]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       HONORING ED CASEY, RECIPIENT OF THE ``HEART O'GOLD AWARD''

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                          HON. RICHARD E. NEAL

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 4, 2004

  Mr. NEAL of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure 
today that I honor Ed Casey, an outstanding American who has dedicated 
himself to cultural exploration and community service, as the ``Heart 
O'Gold Award'' is bestowed upon him by the Quaboag Highlander Pipe Band 
of Monson, Massachusetts.
  Ed Casey is an icon in the Pioneer Valley and western Massachusetts 
and is well known throughout the community for his commitment to 
bagpipes and Celtic culture. As a resident of Springfield and 
Belchertown, MA, Ed has played his pipes at parades, inaugurations, 
celebrations, and internments. He is loved by so many in our area.
  Mr. Casey, who spent years as a public school teacher in Holyoke, MA, 
has taught the craft of playing the bagpipes to many others interested 
in learning to play. Yet, unlike most music teachers, Ed did not learn 
to play music through the traditional route of lessons and formal 
training. He learned to play the bagpipes, as he would say, ``by ear'' 
and ``by heart.''
  Mr. Speaker, there are many families in western Massachusetts who 
have never met Ed Casey, but perhaps it is their lives that have been 
most directly impacted by his generosity. For years, in lieu of 
accepting any fee for performing at internments, Ed Casey has directed 
families to instead make donations to the Open Pantry, a food 
collection and distribution center in Springfield that feeds the hungry 
in western Massachusetts. In doing so, thousands of dollars have been 
collected to provide food for the poor and the needy.
  It is my pleasure to honor Ed Casey today in the Congressional Record 
as someone whose selflessness and talent should be recognized and 
emulated by those around him. Congratulations Ed upon receiving this 
honor. Your good work has not gone unnoticed.

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