[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 43 (Thursday, April 6, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E526]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 IN HONOR OF THE GREGORY FAMILY AS THEY RECEIVE THE TREE OF LIFE AWARD

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JEAN SCHMIDT

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, April 5, 2006

  Mrs. SCHMIDT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Gregory 
Family as they receive the Tree of Life humanitarian award on April 
30th, 2006 from the Jewish National Fund.
  The Jewish National Fund has bestowed its prestigious Tree of Life 
award annually since 1981. Recipients of this honor are chosen on the 
basis of outstanding community involvement, professional leadership and 
humanitarian service.
  The Tree of Life award was named to symbolize the Jewish National 
Fund's efforts to reclaim and develop the land of Israel from barren 
and uninhabitable land into a land of lush green forests and fields, 
productive farmlands and varied tourism and recreation facilities.
  Members of the Gregory Family receiving the award include the late 
Ted Gregory, his wife Matula and their children and spouses, Tom and 
Pam; Dean and Hedy; Evan and Terry; and Vickie. This talented and 
generous family is behind one of Cincinnati's most notable treasures, 
The Montgomery Inn Restaurants. These award-winning restaurants are 
known not only in our own region, but across the nation.
  Ted Gregory and his wife Matula worked hard to build their business 
and instill a strong work ethic and sense of charity in their children. 
Ted often said, ``Give until it hurts, then give a little more.'' This 
belief, combined with a strong work ethic, is no doubt the recipe to 
the Gregory Family's success.
  As the Gregory's success has steadily grown over the years, so too 
has their mission to give back to others. Some of their beneficiaries 
include the Bob Hope House, The Free Store Food Bank, The Down Syndrome 
Association, Big Brothers and Big Sisters, Cincinnati Children's 
Hospital, One Way Farm and countless others.
  The family also established the Montgomery Inn Invitational, which 
has raised more than $500,000. These funds have benefited the Jewish 
Federation, the Uriah P. Levy Jewish Chapel at the U.S. Naval Academy, 
the United Negro College Fund, the Billy Barty Foundation, and 
scholarships benefiting many area youth.
  Today, Ted and Matula's children continue to carry on the family's 
charitable legacy. The four Gregory children graduated from Sycamore 
High School, where they recently endowed a state-of-the-art fitness 
center bearing the name of their parents.
  The Gregory Family will donate the proceeds from this year's Tree of 
Life dinner to the Jewish National Fund Therapeutic Riding Consortium 
Endowment for Israel.
  In addition to four children, Ted and Matula have eight 
grandchildren.
  All of us in the Cincinnati area congratulate the Gregory Family on 
receiving the Tree of Life humanitarian award.

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