[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 15221-15222]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 CENTRAL NEW JERSEY RECOGNIZES AND HONORS GROUND ZERO VOLUNTEER SUZAN 
                                 VITTI

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. RUSH D. HOLT

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, July 26, 2002

  Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor the 
selflessness, volunteering spirit and patriotism of Americans. One such 
American is Ground Zero Volunteer Suzan Vitti.
  On September 11, 2001, Suzan Vitti, a nursing student and trained 
emergency service volunteer, saw the attacks on the World Trade Center 
unfold on television, immediately put on her uniform and reported to 
the Kendall Park First Aid building in Central New Jersey. Although the 
shock and enormity of that tragedy might have overwhelmed and 
incapacitated some who beheld it that day, Suzan was determined to act. 
Almost the minute Suzan Vitti heard reports that food and emergency 
supplies were needed she began calling businesses to solicit donations. 
Within 48 hours of the attacks, she was on her way to Ground Zero in 
her own small car, so loaded down with baked goods from Entenmann's of 
Edison that she had to drive below the speed limit with her hazard 
lights flashing. She had a sign in the back window of her car that said 
``Going to Ground Zero;'' eventually a police officer spotted her and 
gave her an escort to the site.
  From that day until recovery efforts were suspended at Ground Zero at 
the end of May, Suzan Vitti worked tirelessly and with no thought of 
her own health or safety to assist the emergency crews at Ground Zero. 
Food was being delivered to the site for the workers, but it was being 
dropped off several blocks from the site. The workers refused to leave 
their posts to feed themselves, so Suzan Vitti brought the food to 
them. She bandaged their wounds, put drops in their eyes to clear the 
dust, and distributed aspirin, gloves and goggles. When the winter 
months arrived, Suzan drove herself around the outskirts of the site in 
the middle of the night, seeking out the groups of New York City Police 
Officers hovered over fires they routinely lit in barrels to keep warm 
at their posts, delivering donuts, bagels, cakes, pies and cookies. 
Suzan Vitti became such a welcome sight at Ground Zero, that rescue and 
recovery personnel would announce her presence over the radio--``the 
Entenmann's Lady just entered the Zone!''--and waive her in with their 
flashlights. Reliably, two or three days a week from September to May, 
Suzan Vitti arrived at Ground Zero with donations of food, pastries, 
and medical supplies and distributed them as needed.
  For her efforts, she has received countless honors, including 
commendations and recognition from several units of the Police and Fire 
Departments of the City of New York, the Port Authority Police 
Department, emergency services providers, the Salvation Army and other 
relief organizations, the Department of Design and Construction, the 
Army National Guard, the Mayor of South Brunswick and the Governor of 
New Jersey. One of her most prized possessions is a sweatshirt, upon 
which she has pinned the more than 150 pieces of collar brass donated 
to her by grateful rescue and recovery personnel to whom she tended at 
Ground Zero. As to her volunteering spirit, Suzan has said, simply, 
``I'm an American. It's my duty.''
  It is an honor to represent Suzan Vitti in Congress.
  Once again, I rise to commend Suzan Vitti for her selfless and 
tireless efforts on behalf of the rescue and recovery personnel at 
Ground Zero and for her volunteering and patriotic spirit. I wish her 
much success in her future endeavors, and I ask my colleagues to join 
me in recognizing her accomplishments.

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