[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 157 (Monday, September 24, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6275-S6276]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   TRIBUTE TO LAURA LANDERMAN-GARBER

 Ms. HASSAN. Mr. President, I am proud to recognize Laura 
Landerman-Garber of Hollis, NH, who truly embodies our State's all-
hands-on-deck spirit, as September's Granite Stater of the Month.
  One holiday season years ago, Laura read a story about the importance 
of remembering servicemembers away from home during the holidays. So 
during a holiday dinner, she set out cards and told her family and 
guests that she would start serving turkey dinner after they each wrote 
a card to a servicemember. This tradition continued and grew last year 
when a family friend was stationed on an aircraft carrier, the U.S.S. 
Theodore Roosevelt, inspiring Laura to try to send a card to each 
member of the crew--or 5,000 cards.
  To accomplish this task, Laura mobilized her community. She reached 
out to churches, synagogues, scout troops, and schools. She also talked 
to the local media and public officials. Instead of receiving 5,000 
cards, Laura received 17,000 cards for members of the Navy in just 6 
weeks.
  As Laura says, New Hampshire may be small in size, but we are mighty 
in heart. She has decided to continue her mission to honor our heroes 
serving in the Armed Forces and says she draws particular inspiration 
to carry on her tradition after meeting a Vietnam war veteran who 
described a card he had framed on the wall of his house, written to him 
by a boy he has never met.
  This year, Laura has formed a nonprofit organization to help with the 
postage and has expanded her goals; she aims to collect 5,000 cards for 
each branch of our military, 25,000 total. Already, Laura has said the 
outpouring of support from the entire New Hampshire community has been 
incredible, reinforcing that, from preschoolers to seniors, the people 
of New Hampshire exhibit a remarkable generosity of heart and spirit. 
Laura is confident that, this year, she will once again meet her goal.
  For her dedication to our servicemembers and for her work to

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bring Granite Starters together, I am proud of to recognize Laura as 
our September Granite Stater of the Month.

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