[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 18]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 25129-25130]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 COMMENDING THE TREMENDOUS PUBLIC SERVICE OF EAST BROOK MIDDLE SCHOOL 
                          STUDENT JOEY RIZZOLO

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. SCOTT GARRETT

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 20, 2007

  Mr. GARRETT of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commend a 
seventh grade student at East Brook Middle School in Paramus, NJ, for 
demonstrating a tremendous commitment to his community with exuberance 
and spirit. At his tender young age, Joey Rizzolo has already offered 
more of an example of public service for America than many adults.
  Under the tutelage of their teacher, Jane Cosco, Joey Rizzolo and his 
fellow students take part in a service-learning project called 
Operation Goody Bag. For the past 3 years, students at East Brook 
Middle School have decorated lunch bags; stuffed them with letters, 
poems, candy, and other such items; and shipped them to local first 
responders and service members overseas. Fifty thousand packages have 
been shipped already and each one is sure to bring a smile to the face 
of its recipient.
  As an outgrowth of that effort, Operation Goody Bag decided to 
participate in the Department of Defense's America Supports You program 
and the annual Freedom Walk. This year, Joey, as the Paramus Freedom 
Walk chairman and his fellow students took to the streets with about 
400 local citizens to show their support for the men and women serving 
in the military and for their families.
  I was proud to join Joey and his fellow students for this special 
event. From their homes in Paramus, these students had a front row seat 
to the horrific terrorist attacks on September 11. Many of their family 
members and neighbors were there at the World Trade Center that day or 
were amongst the first responders who rushed into Manhattan to help in 
the hours and days and weeks that followed. These students approach 
their work with poise and grace, dedication and commitment. And Joey 
Rizzolo organized and led this first annual walk as if he'd been doing 
it for a lifetime.

[[Page 25130]]

  It was an honor to stand with these students earlier this month to 
commemorate the sixth anniversary of September 11 and it is an honor to 
represent these students, their teacher, and their families in 
Congress.

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