[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 100 (Thursday, July 7, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1254]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   ON THE OCCASION OF THE TWENTY-NINTH ANNUAL METRO DETROIT YOUTH DAY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. GARY C. PETERS

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, July 7, 2011

  Mr. PETERS. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to rise today to 
recognize the organizers, supporters and participants of the twenty-
ninth annual Metro Detroit Youth Day.
  While Metro Detroit Youth Day has many leaders, organizers, 
participants and supporters which make it possible, one man, Mr. Ed 
Deeb, stands at the foundation of this great youth empowering event. 
When asked by the Mayor of Detroit to rise to the challenge of 
overcoming divisions to create a stronger community, Ed answered, 
rallying the business community to work with Detroit youth to overcome 
the divide between business and youth. From this work, Youth Day was 
born as an event which calmed tensions through dialogue between Detroit 
business owners and the youth. Under Ed's leadership as chairman and 
coordinator of Youth Day, it has continued to grow and evolve into an 
event focused on nurturing the great potential of our youth in the City 
of Detroit.
  Part of Youth Days' evolution included expanding its impact on 
participants, supporters and volunteers. As part of this expansion, 
Youth Day began to focus on providing youth with guidance, mentoring, 
substance abuse prevention and motivational activities designed to 
allow them to channel their creativity and ideas into positive 
outcomes. As part of this empowerment, Youth Day began awarding 
participants with scholarships for youth that displayed outstanding 
citizenship, leadership and service. With over seven hundred 
scholarships awarded since 1991, Youth Day has undoubtedly provided 
many Metro Detroit young adults with the opportunity to pursue higher 
education and more fully realize their potential.
  The success of Ed's vision speaks for itself, with Youth Day having 
become a tradition for the Metro Detroit community. Since its inception 
so many years ago, Youth Day has grown from twelve hundred participants 
to over thirty-seven thousand annually, with more than seven hundred 
thousand youth participants throughout its history. Of equal importance 
are the more than fifteen hundred annual volunteers who come from over 
six hundred community organizations and businesses who supervise sports 
clinics, games, contests and many other activities that are a part of 
this daylong event. For its impact, Youth Day has been awarded numerous 
accolades including a Point of Light award from President George H.W. 
Bush and the Michigan Governor's award for Physical Fitness.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in celebrating the 
twenty-ninth annual Metro Detroit Youth Day and recognizing the 
organizers, supporters, volunteers and participants for working 
together to build a stronger future for Michigan youth in Metro 
Detroit.

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