[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 55 (Tuesday, April 27, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E673-E674]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        EASTERN NEW MEXICO'S COMPASSION EARNS NATIONAL ATTENTION

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                             HON. TOM UDALL

                             of new mexico

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 27, 2004

  Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to tell my 
colleagues about an amazing act of selflessness that has recently 
earned national press coverage for a small town in my congressional 
district.
  In February, the Portales News Tribune reported that students in 
Dora, New Mexico had donated $3,000 they raised for their prom to the 
family of sixteen-year-old Clayton Stokes, who was killed in a pickup 
truck crash. Motivated by this, other students in the school helped 
raise another $4,000 for the family.
  Dora High School Principal Bill Stockton said that the 11th grade 
students who attend the school decided to donate their prom money after 
a memorial assembly for their late classmate. These students had 
diligently been saving for their prom for 3 years.
  Clayton, a resident of Causey, was a bright young man with a 
promising future before him. He was born on March 21, 1987, in 
Carlsbad, to Jim and Cathy Stokes. He was active in both varsity 
basketball and baseball at Dora High School. He enjoyed riding horses 
and snowboarding and was a member of the Dora FFA. Family members said 
he enjoyed working in construction with his father and two brothers and 
spending time with family and friends.
  As Principal Stockton noted, losing a student in a small school is 
like losing a family member. The students' gesture alone deserves our 
deep praise and admiration, however, there is more to this story.
  Rooney Moon Broadcasting was so touched by the students' generosity 
that the station asked radio listeners to help replace the money so the 
students could have their prom after all. Within hours, the station 
helped raise nearly $17,000. Incredibly, the money has continued coming 
in and the station places the latest total around $22,000. A memorial 
scholarship in Clayton's name is planned.
  This money poured in from residents all across eastern New Mexico, 
primarily from residents in Curry and Roosevelt counties. It is clear 
to me that the spirit of ``paying it forward'' is alive and well in 
this area of New Mexico.
  The first donation came from Mike Knight, owner of Rib Crib in 
Clovis, who volunteered to cater the Dora prom. McDonalds of Portales 
pledged $1,000 for the scholarship fund. The Bank of America in Clovis 
and Tankersley's arranged for all the boys to have rental tuxedos.
  The May 3, 2004, issue of People magazine has an article about this 
wonderful deed. The magazine has a section entitled ``Local Heroes'' 
for people in the country that are making a difference. This act is 
certainly worthy of this recognition. On a personal note, I am pleased 
that millions of Americans will learn of the honorable and heroic deeds 
of my eastern New Mexico constituents through this article in one of 
the largest publications in the Nation.
  Mr. Speaker, thank you for affording me the opportunity to brief my 
colleagues regarding this inspiring story. In a time of bleak news in 
our world, it is indeed refreshing to be reminded of the 
kindheartedness of our friends and neighbors. I am attaching the 
article and request that it be reprinted in its entirety in the 
Congressional Record so that we may be reminded of this account 
throughout the ages.

                       [From People, May 3, 2004]

                          The Prom Must Go on

       For three years, the 11th graders of Dora High in remote 
     Dora, N. Mex., had scraped their pennies together from bake 
     sales and fund-raisers for their prom. Then, suddenly, a prom 
     didn't seem so important. Around midnight on Feb. 15, 
     classmate Clayton Stokes was driving home after hanging out 
     with friends when he dozed at the wheel. His truck flipped 
     over, and Stokes, 16, an athlete and jokester, died 
     instantly.
       Tragic as it was, Stokes's death set off an avalanche of 
     goodwill that has left residents of Dora (pop. 500) feeling 
     pretty good about their town. The day after his death, 
     Clayton's classmates piled into vans and drove to the 
     Stokeses' home. There, they handed a $3,000 check--their 
     entire prom fund--to his devastated parents, Jim, 48, and 
     Cathi, 45, so they could bury their youngest boy. ``We never 
     thought twice about it,'' says Kassandra Clark, 16. The rest 
     of the school chipped in, raising another $4,000. ``They 
     floored us,'' says Jim, a construction worker. ``For them to 
     love my boy so much to give up their prom,'' adds Cathi. ``It 
     didn't take the pain away, but it eased it.''
       That was only the beginning. Local radio host Steve Rooney 
     and his cohost got wind of the gesture, and on the day 
     Clayton was laid to rest, they asked listeners for donations 
     so the kids could have their prom. ``We couldn't answer the 
     phones fast enough,'' he says. The juniors, who had held a 
     sleepover at classmate Ashlet Carter's house, tuned in while 
     dressing for the memorial. ``We had to redo our makeup,'' 
     says Carter. ``We all kept crying.''
       The money kept coming--$22,000 so far, some of it to create 
     a scholarship fund in Clayton's name. And on April 24, Dora 
     High will have a prom. What would Clayton think

[[Page E674]]

     of it all? ``He'd go, `Dang, golly,''' says Travis Belcher, 
     his best friend. ``He wouldn't believe it, but he'd be pretty 
     proud.''

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