[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 95 (Monday, July 12, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1353]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    HONORING THE ST. MARY SCHOOL PAROCHIAL INVITATIONAL BASKETBALL 
                  TOURNAMENT ON THEIR 30TH ANNIVERSARY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ROSA L. DeLAURO

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, July 12, 2004

  Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise today 
to join the community in celebrating the 30th Anniversary of the St. 
Mary Parochial Invitational Basketball Tournament. This is a remarkable 
milestone and I am proud to extend my sincerest congratulations to all 
of those involved in making this annual event such a great success.
  What first began as a two-day event with eight competing teams has 
grown into the longest running and largest parochial school basketball 
tournament in Connecticut. In this, its 30th year, sixty teams from 
across the state will participate in a two-week long tournament that 
will also include a cheerleading exhibition. Over seven hundred boys 
and girls in grades three through eight will participate--making this 
year's tournament a real landmark event.
  Each of the teams which will compete in the St. Mary Invitational 
have already accomplished so much. Through their hard work and efforts 
they have already learned one of life's most important lessons--the 
value of team work. Basketball, like all sports, teaches us the value 
of sportsmanship, camaraderie, practice, and commitment to excellence. 
These are skills which will serve these young people well as they begin 
to make a difference in the world. I am proud to extend my sincere 
congratulations and very best wishes to them all as they begin the 
tournament.
  I would be remiss if I did not extend a special note of thanks to the 
many volunteers who so generously donate their time and energy to 
making this event possible. Coaches, parents, faculty, administrators, 
and friends all play important roles in bringing the St. Mary 
Invitational to life. Without your dedication, commitment, and 
energies, we would not be able to share this very special event with 
our young people. The fact that many of the adults who today volunteer 
their time to the tournament were once players themselves is testament 
to the legacy of this special event.
  In its thirty-year history, the St. Mary Invitational has touched the 
lives of over fifteen thousand young people across Connecticut. It is 
with my deepest thanks and sincerest appreciation that I rise today to 
join the many well-wishers in extending my heart-felt congratulations 
to the St. Mary School Parochial Invitational Basketball Tournament on 
their 30th Anniversary. You have made such a difference in the lives of 
so many and I know that you will continue to leave an indelible mark on 
our community.

                          ____________________