[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 13]
[House]
[Page 18823]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                      TRIBUTE TO CHRISTOPHER GALE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Pease). Under a previous order of the 
House, the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Hoekstra) is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mr. HOEKSTRA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize an outstanding 
individual from my community. His name is Christopher Gale, he is 18 
years old, and I have had the opportunity to spend some time with him 
over the last few days. Christopher was in Washington as part of the 
Boys and Girls Club National Youth of the Year competition. Christopher 
was the winner of the Midwest region. He is an outstanding young person 
from my hometown.
  Mr. Speaker, he has been a member of the Boys and Girls Club of 
Holland, Michigan, for the last 9 years. Today, he attends Western 
Michigan University where he intends on getting his degree in education 
and returning to the Holland community to teach history in his high 
school. At high school, he has been active in football, wrestling, 
baseball; he is also the president of the marching band in his spare 
time.
  At home, he has been the role model for his younger brother and has 
also provided stability for his mother, who battles a physical 
disability. In his family, they have learned that love, compassion, and 
understanding are what has brought unity and strength to their family.
  While in Holland, Christopher has been very active in volunteering 
for his community. He was awarded the Mayor's Youth Recognition Award 
for volunteering, by demonstrating his commitment to his neighborhood 
and the greater community. He volunteers on Project Pride, which is a 
community-wide cleanup effort. He has also helped with Little League; 
he has also helped with the West Ottawa Migrant program. So in addition 
to tutoring at school, in addition to tutoring his younger brother, in 
the summer he also tutors migrant children whose parents are working in 
the fields and whose parents travel from state to state. He has shown a 
great love for the next generation.
  He is an active member of the Keystone Club, using his leadership 
skills again, what would you expect, to mentor young members of the 
Boys and Girls Club.
  Christopher has been an outstanding contributor to the Holland 
community, to the community of west Michigan, and I am glad to be able 
to rise today and give this tribute to him and to say thank you for all 
that you have done for the community of Holland, the community of west 
Michigan, and to say congratulations for being the Midwest region 
winner this year.

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