[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 8]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 10175]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




    CONGRATULATING MARY ERWINE ON THE OCCASION OF HER RECEIVING THE 
           LEADERSHIP WILKES-BARRE DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARD

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. PAUL E. KANJORSKI

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 6, 2006

  Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask you and my 
distinguished colleagues in the House of Representatives to join me in 
paying tribute to Mary Erwine, president of Erwine Home Health and 
Hospice, Inc., who is the 2006 recipient of Leadership Wilkes-Barre's 
Distinguished Alumni Award.
  Ms. Erwine will be honored at the 25th annual Leadership Wilkes-Barre 
dinner to be held on Thursday, June 8. She was chosen for this award 
because of her commitment and dedication to the community and her 
ongoing support of Leadership Wilkes-Barre and its programs.
  Ms. Erwine founded Erwine's Home Care in 1993 and expanded with the 
addition of Erwine's Private Health Care in 1995.
  Under her leadership and professional training, the company has grown 
from three employees to more than 100. Her company serves patients in 
five Pennsylvania counties.
  In 2005, she added a hospice division to afford patients continuity 
of care.
  Her community involvement includes participating in organizations 
such as the Northeast Regional Cancer Institute, the greater Wilkes-
Barre Association for the Blind, St. Vincent De Paul Kitchen, F.M. 
Kirby Center for the Performing Arts, Osterhout Library, Circle 200, 
Pennsylvania Council on Aging, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital 
Fundraising, Executive Women's Council, Wilkes-Barre Chamber of 
Commerce, National Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau, National 
Association of Millennium Circle Fund of the Luzerne Foundation, 
College Misericordia Advisory Council, PNC Bank Northeast Region 
Advisory Board, Blue Cross of Northeastern Pennsylvania Corporate 
Board, Leadership Wilkes-Barre and the Greater Wyoming Valley 
Leadership Forum.
  Ms, Erwine has also been the recipient of several awards including 
the Athena Award from the Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Commerce; 
Quality of Life Advocacy Award from the Eastern Pennsylvania Chapter 
Arthritis Foundation; Benefactor Award from the Greater Wilkes-Barre 
Association for the Blind; Distinguished Career in Nursing 
Administration Alumni Award from College Misericordia; Community 
Leaders of the Year Spirit of Business and Industry Award from the 
Arthritis Foundation and the 25th Anniversary Star Award from 
Leadership Wilkes-Barre.
  Mr. Speaker, please join me in congratulating Mary Erwine on this 
auspicious occasion. Her entrepreneurial spirit and her devotion to 
community service have helped to improve the quality of life in the 
entire region.

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