[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 71 (Thursday, May 1, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E794]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            TRIBUTE OF MR. AND MRS SHASHI AND PRIYA VASWANI

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                           HON. HENRY CUELLAR

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 1, 2008

  Mr. CUELLAR. Madame Speaker, I rise today to honor Mr. and Mrs. 
Shashi and Priya Vaswani for their induction in the 2008 Laredo 
Business Hall of Fame, and for their incredible dedication to the youth 
in the City of Laredo, Texas.
  Shashi came to Laredo from Canada with his family in 1981 as a high 
school sophomore, and married his wife, Priya, in 1987. They lived and 
worked in the Carribean and the Rio Grande Valley before moving back to 
Laredo in the early 1990s. Shashi and Priya opened About Time, a video 
arcade, in the 1990s. In 2004, they were able to open a La Quinta Inn 
and Suites, which allowed them to use a part of their profits to 
fulfill their dream of establishing the Laredo Heat soccer franchise. 
The Heat Youth association now has 28 teams playing in Laredo, and this 
interest in soccer as a physical activity would not have happened if 
not for the Vaswanis.
  Shashi and Priya plan to fund improvements to Texas A&M International 
University's two soccer fields with the goal of making the fields the 
home base for future Laredo Heat games. They strongly believe in the 
value of physical activity as a complement to the full education of the 
youth in Laredo. They have learned the value of hard work and sacrifice 
and have stressed their belief in the importance of a college degree to 
young soccer players. This couple has admirably served the community of 
Laredo, Texas, through their business entrepreneurship and their work 
with the youth in Laredo. For their dedication and hard work in making 
Laredo a better place for children in exercising their physical 
talents, they will be honored by the Junior Achievement League through 
their induction into the 2008 Business Hall of Fame.
  Madam Speaker, I am honored to have had this time to recognize the 
dedication of Mr. and Mrs. Shashi and Priya Vaswani to the City of 
Laredo.

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