[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 172 (Friday, October 17, 2025)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E974]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        HONORING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE AURORA ACTIONAIRES

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                            HON. BILL FOSTER

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 17, 2025

  Mr. FOSTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 50th 
anniversary of the Aurora Actionaires, a remarkable milestone for an 
organization that has stood as a beacon of service, leadership, and 
community empowerment in Aurora, Illinois, for half a century.
  Since its founding in 1975, when three friends, Donna Williams, 
Martha Hickling, and Caroline Johnson, met at Hoi Peng Restaurant in 
Aurora on New Year's Eve, 1974, and decided to form a social club, the 
Aurora Actionaires has consistently demonstrated what committed civic 
engagement can achieve. What began with a group of eighteen 
enthusiastic friends wanting a better community quickly evolved into a 
force for service and empowerment under their guiding motto: We Care . 
. . We Act . . . We Serve.
  Over these five decades, the Aurora Actionaires have lived that motto 
through their tireless dedication to education, community development, 
youth mentorship, and numerous charitable endeavors across the region. 
They have awarded more than $200,000 in scholarships to high school 
seniors and provided assistance to college students in need. They have 
hosted workshops for parents and students on completing scholarship and 
financial aid applications and supported eighth-grade graduates 
attending the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy's SEAMS Summer 
Enrichment Program, helping young people pursue academic excellence and 
opportunity.
  On their golden anniversary, we reflect on the many lives touched, 
the students who would not have pursued higher education without their 
support, families whose neighborhoods have been strengthened through 
their volunteerism, and civic institutions that have benefited from 
their leadership and investment. The Aurora Actionaires have built 
bridges across generations, across neighborhoods, and across divides 
and have always modeled the belief that progress is shared when we lift 
others.
  Mr. Speaker, I am proud to have the Aurora Actionaires as part of 
Illinois' 11th Congressional District. They have demonstrated what it 
means to transform compassion into action and service into lasting 
impact, and I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating them on 
their golden anniversary and thank them for their unwavering dedication 
to building a stronger, more vibrant community for all.

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