[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 7]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 10048]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   CONGRATULATIONS TO JACLYN EINSTEIN

                                 ______
                                 

                     HON. DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 17, 2005

  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate and 
honor a young Florida student from my district who has achieved 
national recognition for exemplary volunteer service in her community. 
Jaclyn Einstein of Golden Beach was named one of the top honorees in 
Florida by the 2005 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program, an 
annual honor conferred on the most impressive student volunteers in 
each state, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.
  Jaclyn, a junior at University School, is being recognized for 
raising more than $6,000 for organ transplants in a fund-raising 
walkathon, as part of an ongoing, multi-year effort on her part to 
promote organ donation. Not only did Jaclyn raise money for organ 
donation programs, but she also organized an assembly at her high 
school to recruit other students to walk with her. Combined, the 
students raised $6,200 for the University of Miami Transplant 
Foundation, winning a cruise that she then donated to an 18-year-old 
heart transplant recipient.
  When asked what she hoped her efforts would accomplish, Jaclyn said, 
``It is my hope, ultimately, that numerous individuals in need will 
benefit trom receiving an organ transplant through my efforts.''
  In light of numerous statistics that indicate Americans today are 
less involved in their communities than they once were, it's vital that 
we encourage and support the kind of selfless contribution this young 
citizen has made. People of all ages need to think more about how we, 
as individual citizens, can work together at the local level to ensure 
the health and vitality of our towns and neighborhoods. Young 
volunteers like Ms. Einstein are inspiring examples to all of us, and 
are among our brightest hopes for a better tomorrow.
  The program that brought this young role model to our attention--The 
Prudential Spirit of Community Awards--was created in 1995 by 
Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of 
Secondary School Principals. The program seeks to impress upon youth 
volunteers that their contributions are critically important and highly 
valued, and to inspire other young people to follow their example. Over 
the past eight years, the program has become the nation's largest youth 
recognition effort based solely on community service, with more than 
170,000 youngsters participating since its inception.
  I heartily applaud Ms. Einstein for her initiative in seeking to make 
her community a better place to live, and for the positive impact she 
has had on the lives of others. She has demonstrated a level of 
commitment and accomplishment that is truly noteworthy in today's 
world, and deserves our sincere admiration and respect. Her actions 
show that young Americans can--and do--play important roles in our 
communities, and that America's community spirit continues to hold 
tremendous promise for the future.

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