[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 62 (Thursday, May 6, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Page S4993]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             PRUDENTIAL SPIRIT OF COMMUNITY AWARD HONOREES

 Mr. CARPER. Mr. President, today I recognize Meghan Pasricha 
and Andrew Bell for being selected as two of the Nation's top youth 
volunteers in the ninth annual Prudential Spirit of Community Awards. 
This is an extraordinary honor. More than 24,000 young people across 
the country were considered for this recognition each year.
  The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, created by Prudential 
Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary 
School Principals, NASSP, constitutes America's largest youth 
recognition program based exclusively on volunteerism. The awards are 
designed to emphasize the importance that our Nation places on service 
to others and to encourage young Americans of all backgrounds to 
contribute to their communities.
  Meghan Pasricha was named as one of America's top 10 youth volunteers 
for 2004. Selected from more than 2,000 applicants, she received 
$5,000, an engraved gold medallion and a crystal trophy from her 
school, Sanford School. In addition, she will have $25,000 in toys, 
clothing and other juvenile products donated in her name to needy 
children in the area by Kids in Distressed Situations, Inc.
  Meghan Pasricha, 18, of Hockessin, is a senior at Sanford School. 
Meghan started an antitobacco club at her school that has since 
developed into a full-blown campaign to educate young people across the 
country and overseas about the hazards of smoking. When Meghan heard 
that her State legislature was considering a ban on indoor smoking, she 
paid close attention. After learning that most smokers start before 
they turn 18, Meghan founded the Anti-Tobacco Action Club at her 
school. With a grant from the American Lung Association and the 
Delaware Health Fund, she recruited a core team of volunteers, led 
meetings, planned a year-long series of antitobacco activities, created 
training and presentation materials, and conducted 12 tobacco awareness 
workshops for school and youth groups. She also set up a tobacco 
education booth at a school health fair, published a newsletter and 
helped other Delaware schools start tobacco education programs. And by 
writing newspaper articles and speaking publicly, she helped mobilize 
youth support for the enactment of one of the Nation's toughest indoor 
smoking bans.
  On a visit to India, Meghan observed how young people there are 
targeted by tobacco sellers, so she trained a group of youth advocates 
to raise awareness in a number of villages. Later, Meghan presented her 
project at the World Conference on Tobacco in Finland, and worked with 
youth advocates from nine other nations to prepare a World Health 
Organization Youth Action Guide and video. ``I am convinced that a 
single person, even if young and inexperienced, can become a catalyst 
for change,'' she said. ``Young people are often told that they are 
`leaders of tomorrow.' I urge young people to become leaders today.''
  Andrew Bell of Seaford was selected as one of Delaware's top youth 
volunteers for 2004. He received a $1,000 award and was congratulated 
by Academy Award winning actress and comedian, Whoopi Goldberg. He also 
received an engraved silver medallion and a trip to Washington, DC, for 
the program's national recognition events.
  Twelve-year-old Andrew, a sixth grader at Sussex Academy of Arts and 
Sciences, helped collect shoes, socks, and shoelaces for needy orphans 
around the world. Andrew started the project by writing letters to the 
four elementary school principals in his hometown of Seaford, asking 
them for permission to collect donations in their schools. He wrote 
articles for his school newsletters, created handouts and brochures 
explaining the purpose of his project, decorated collection boxes for 
each of the four schools, and solicited donations from local department 
stores. Some 300 pairs of shoes, 83 pairs of socks and 15 pairs of 
shoelaces were collected for this effort. From there, the items were 
sent to the Buckner Orphan Care facility in Texas. The items were then 
distributed worldwide to orphans in need. Andrew felt that this project 
was important because ``many children on Earth are poor, and not very 
many people are trying to help them.''
  Today, I rise to congratulate Meghan and Andrew. These youngsters 
inspire examples of community spirit and leadership. They serve as role 
models not only to their peers, but to all of us, as well as to the 
people they have touched through community service. They represent the 
State of Delaware at its very best.

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