[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 146 (Monday, October 3, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Page S6043]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO JACK WILLIAMS

  Mr. BROWN of Massachusetts. Mr. President, I rise today to recognize 
Jack Williams of Boston, MA. For the past 30 years, Jack, a well-
respected veteran news anchor, has hosted WBZ-TV's ``Wednesday's 
Child'', the longest-running adoptive-family-recruitment TV feature in 
the Nation. Since ``Wednesday's Child'' first aired on WBZ in 1981, 
Jack Williams has used the weekly news segment to tell the story of 
more than 1,000 special needs children who are in need of loving, safe 
and permanent homes. Thanks to Jack's effort, many of these children 
have found ``forever'' homes with viewers of the weekly segment.
  Jack Williams has used his notoriety and public platform to provide 
an invaluable service that has changed the lives of so many children 
and their adoptive parents. ``Wednesday's Child'' is backed by the 
Endowment for Wednesday's Child, an exemplary nonprofit with very 
little overhead and no employees. In fact, Jack and Marcie are the sole 
employees of the Endowment for Wednesday's Child; they have never drawn 
a salary and run the foundation out of a home office.
  The Endowment for ``Wednesday's Child'' is supported by individual 
and corporate donations including Wendy's Restaurants, as well as 
Volvo, which donates a vehicle for the ``Win a Volvo, Help 
``Wednesday's Children'' campaign. The endowment has raised and donated 
millions to worthy nonprofits that assist with special needs adoptions. 
Among these are the Massachusetts Adoption Resource Exchange and group 
homes including the Walker Home, St. Ann's Home in Methuen and the 
Italian Home for Children in Jamaica Plain.
  I also thank WBZ-TV for being exemplary stewards of the public 
airwaves in allowing Jack to use his position for such a noble cause.
  On November 6, the Massachusetts Adoption Resource Exchange, other 
Wednesday's Child beneficiaries and Wednesday's Child ``alumni'' will 
gather to honor Jack Williams' 30 years of service to Massachusetts' 
foster children in need of permanent homes. I join them in 
congratulating Jack and Marcie and all those who support Wednesday's 
Child for their hard work and generosity.

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