[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 157 (Thursday, December 8, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2484]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        HONORING IRENE ALEXANDER

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. RAHM EMANUEL

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, December 8, 2005

  Mr. EMANUEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize one of Chicago's 
treasures, Mrs. Irene Alexander.
  Today Mrs. Alexander will perform a concert of Chopin and Gershwin 
pieces for victims of Hurricane Katrina. Following that, she will visit 
Walter Reed Hospital to perform for wounded soldiers. Her final 
performance of the day will be for Navy veterans at a concert in 
Bethesda, Maryland. While this schedule would be too much strain for 
most, it is the norm for Mrs. Alexander, who is 85 years old.
  When she is back home in Chicago, Mrs. Alexander shares her musical 
gifts at nursing homes throughout the city, performing approximately 
150 concerts each year. An accomplished pianist, she has played at 
Chicago's Orchestra Hall and at venues in Israel and China.
  Mrs. Alexander has overcome several personal hardships in order to 
serve others. As a child, she overcame polio, and as an adult she 
battled breast cancer. For the past 15 years, she has suffered from 
macro-degeneration of the eyes, and is legally blind today. Through it 
all she has continued to perform and serve as a source of inspiration 
for many.
  Mr. Speaker, I am proud to stand in recognition of Chicago's most 
generous and talented citizens, Mrs. Irene Alexander.

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