[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 48 (Thursday, March 25, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E486]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            TRIBUTE TO BALLARD JUNIOR AND SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

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                            HON. TOM LATHAM

                                of iowa

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 25, 2010

  Mr. LATHAM. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize and congratulate 
students at Ballard Junior and Senior High School in Ballard, Iowa, for 
their efforts in raising money for St. Damien Hospital, the only free 
pediatric hospital in Haiti.
  St. Damien Hospital is facing many struggles with the devastation 
caused by the earthquake in Haiti. Jeriann McLaughlin, the service/
mentoring/tutoring coordinator at Ballard Junior and Senior High, 
learned of the struggles from Annie Kautza, who is a native of Iowa and 
the regional medical coordinator for NPH International, who runs St. 
Damien. Annie explained the severe structural damage the hospital 
sustained during the earthquake and the need for financial assistance 
to get back to business as usual and serve the additional children in 
need of care.
  Jeriann initiated a fun and competitive fundraising project called 
``Penny War'' which took place for one week in February. This school-
wide contest was implemented to see which advisor group could collect 
the most pennies. Containers for each advisor group were filled with 
pennies, and students could add other coins and dollar bills to their 
opposing advisor groups' to reduce that group's overall penny count in 
the Penny War competition. The advisor group with the highest penny 
credit and the group raising the most money earned a pizza party. In 
total, the Penny War raised over $2000.00, and the National Honor 
Society raised an additional $121.00.
  This collective effort at Ballard Junior and Senior High School is 
characteristic of what Iowa is all about--citizens motivated and 
dedicated to improving the daily life of people in need. I commend all 
the students, their families, and especially Jeriann McLaughlin who 
generated this heartwarming effort. I consider it an honor to represent 
Jeriann and all of those involved in the Penny War in the United States 
Congress and again I congratulate them for their great act of kindness 
and charity.

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