[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 9]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 12392-12393]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     RECOGNIZING CAROLYN RUBENSTEIN

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. ROBERT WEXLER

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 15, 2004

  Mr. WEXLER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize an extraordinary 
individual who has made

[[Page 12393]]

a difference in the lives of so many young children. Carolyn 
Rubenstein, herself just a teenager, started Carolyn's Compassionate 
Children (CCC), a non-profit organization that links critically ill 
children with their healthy peers through a pen pal program. Started 5 
years ago when Carolyn was 14 years old, the program has connected over 
500 children with pen pals in almost every U.S. state and countries 
around the world, including Canada and England. This excellent program 
helps children suffering from life-threatening or chronic illnesses 
connect with their healthy peers. Most of these children are shut in 
and do not have the ability to interact with others their age or live 
normal lives. CCC gives them the opportunity to develop friendships and 
connect with children or teens their age.
  In addition to the pen pal program, CCC has awarded 21 college 
scholarships to cancer survivors. Because of their illness, many of 
these children who do not have as impressive a resume as their healthy 
peers and would, otherwise, not qualify for a scholarship. More 
recently, CCC has set up a scholarship program in the arts for cancer 
survivors.
  I cannot say enough about Carolyn. At a time when our country is 
asking our young men and women to make sacrifices, Carolyn is a shining 
example for others to follow. Her compassion, drive and desire to help 
others has made this world a better place. I commend Carolyn and CCC 
for making a difference in the lives of so many young people.

                          ____________________