[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 2]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 2161]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               HONORING THOMAS BASSANO OF TAMPA, FLORIDA

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. GINNY BROWN-WAITE

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 13, 2008

  Ms. GINNY BROWN-WAITE of Florida. Madam Speaker, I rise today to 
honor a man dedicated to turning the tragic abduction and murder of 
Citrus County child Jessica Lunsford into a rallying cause for child 
advocacy issues. On Saturday, March 1, 2008, Tom will set out from 
Marina Del Ray, California, on a cross country journey, running 3,000 
miles to raise awareness for children's safety and help prevent future 
children from being harmed by sexual predators.
  In the process of planning for his cross-country run, Tom established 
the Run for the Innocent to gather support for his endeavor. This group 
is working with Mark Lunsford, the father of Jessica, as well as the 
Citrus County Child Advocacy Center, Jessie's Place. All of the charity 
runs scheduled along Tom's path from California to Florida will be 
coordinated by staff and volunteers from the center, with all charity 
proceeds going to charity.
  Since his daughter was abducted and killed in 2005, Mark Lunsford has 
led a 50-state effort to strengthen laws targeting sexual offenders and 
predators. I was proud to work with Mark to pass Federal legislation, 
the Jessica Lunsford Act, as part of comprehensive child welfare 
legislation. A man truly dedicated to improving the chances for 
children affected by abuse, neglect, and sexual predators, Mark 
established Jessie's Place as a center to serve children affected by 
child abuse or neglect.
  Madam Speaker, I ask that you join me in honoring Tom Bassano for 
making his commitment to American children and running across the 
United States to fight violence against children. Tom's effort shows 
the effect that one man can have on the lives of millions, and should 
be commended by this entire body for his novel idea to raise money for 
this worthy cause. We wish Tom luck on his journey and look forward to 
welcoming him to Citrus County when he finishes his run.

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