[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 21]
[House]
[Page 28760]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                ST. MARY'S COUNTY HURRICANE RELIEF FUND

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. HOYER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the extraordinary 
efforts of Joe St. Clair, Tom Jarboe, and Donald Cropp, founders of the 
St. Mary's Hurricane Relief Fund. That is the county in which I live.
  Following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, these three men 
organized the St. Mary's Hurricane Relief Fund to help the victims of 
the storm in the small town of D'Iberville, Mississippi, located in the 
district of my friend, Congressman Gene Taylor.
  This October, Joe, Tom and Don drove two tractor trailers stocked 
with needed school supplies, book bags and other goods the entire way 
to D'Iberville. These items were collected with the assistance of 
countless St. Mary's County businesses and volunteers. Literally, tens 
of thousands of dollars of contributions.
  The Hurricane Relief Fund's work to help D'Iberville did not stop 
when they returned to St. Mary's County. Since their initial trip, the 
St. Mary's Hurricane Relief Fund has organized an Adopt A Kid Campaign 
to ensure that the children of D'Iberville had the resources that they 
needed, facilitated stationing a medical team in D'Iberville, sent 
educational supplies to Sacred Heart Catholic School, sent 80 first-aid 
kits to D'Iberville Health Care Clinic and worked to fulfill the needs 
of the community as requested by D'Iberville officials.
  This December, Joe, Tom and Don organized another massive donation 
drive, Operation Mississippi Christmas, this time to ensure that no 
child in D'Iberville went without a present.
  Last Friday, I visited with the organizers and a group of volunteers 
at a warehouse as they loaded two additional tractor trailers bound for 
D'Iberville. That is four tractor trailers for these young people. I am 
proud I was able to participate in this noble effort by donating 
hundreds of duffle bags filled with gifts.
  When the trucks left for the gulf coast on Saturday morning, they 
were loaded with more than just presents, and included among their 
cargo were 200 book bags loaded with school supplies, 50 additional 
first-aid kits, cases of needed medical supplies for the D'Iberville 
clinic, quilts donated by the local Amish community, bicycles, hundreds 
of duffle bags, 35 complete computer systems with printers, cables, et 
cetera, all donated by SmartCo, defibrillator batteries and a charger 
donated by St. Mary's Hospital, a critical item for the medical clinic, 
and 1,160 Wal-Mart gift cards for the upper middle and high school 
students.
  On Sunday afternoon, the trucks rolled into D'Iberville, completing 
the approximately 16 hours and 1,000 mile journey.
  On Monday, D'Iberville Elementary School held a pizza party as the 
presents were handed out and the goods distributed to the grateful 
community. At the end of the day, I received a call from the group 
indicating they had accomplished their mission of handing something to 
every school child, every school child in D'Iberville.
  St. Mary's Hurricane Relief Fund has organized an amazingly 
successful relief effort, and I applaud its hard work. I would like to 
personally and publicly thank you, Joe St. Clair, Joe Cropp, Tom 
Jarboe, Guy Curley, Reggie Townsend, Ann Raley, Vince Whittles, the St. 
Mary's Chamber of Commerce, Father John Ball and the St. Mary's Trinity 
Episcopal Parish, Technology Security Associates, Larry Wise and the 
folks at BAE Systems, Bo Bailey and his son Tony for driving the 
trucks, and the hundreds of additional contributors, volunteers and 
businesses that contributed St. Mary's Hurricane Relief Fund's drive to 
help D'Iberville, Mississippi.
  I am proud that my constituents, realizing that they are part of a 
community bigger than St. Mary's County, have sought to help our 
neighbors in Mississippi during their time of need. Their efforts 
surely for us all symbolize the true meaning of compassion, and I think 
it sets a great example of giving in this holiday season.
  Joe St. Clair and Don tell the story of the children and their eyes 
gleaming as they received these gifts. Joe St. Clair, a crusty 
businessman about 55 years of age, telling me the story had tears 
flowing down his cheeks.
  Mr. Speaker, there is a lot of acrimony on this floor too often, and 
too often we forget to remember our neighbors and our friends. This is 
an example of the best that is America.

                          ____________________