[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 2]
[House]
[Pages 2429-2430]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1945
    TEN AMERICANS SHOWING AMERICA'S BEST FACE FROM THE 10TH DISTRICT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Kirk) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. KIRK. Madam Speaker, I'd like to talk about 10 Americans showing 
America's best face from the 10th Congressional district. Today I rise 
to honor 10 very special individuals from my congressional district who 
are making a difference for the United States overseas. These ``Ten for 
the Tenth'' go beyond dedicating themselves to building a stronger 
community here, but also show the best face and values of America 
overseas.

[[Page 2430]]

  Marillyn Tallman, from Highland Park, has been working for more than 
60 years, leading the fight against anti-Semitism. After a trip to the 
Soviet Union in 1968, Marillyn joined Chicago Action for Soviet Jewry 
to fight human rights violations against Jews. Since 1972, the Highland 
Park-based Chicago Action has been a vocal advocate for the third 
largest Jewish community in the world, sponsoring fact-finding 
missions, linking synagogues with communities in the former Soviet 
Union, and pressing for legislative action.
  Lori Dillon, from Lake Forest, works closely with Eric Peasah at the 
Counter Trafficking Center to support the rescued children sold into 
child labor in Ghana. They have been working to save hundreds of 
trafficked children. Lori started a pen pal program where children in 
the Lake Forest community write to rescued children in Ghana offering 
support. She also started a child trafficking awareness initiative at 
the Deerpath Middle School and Lake Forest High School where her 
daughter, Claire, is a sophomore.
  Zack Harris, of Glencoe, was a New Trier freshman when he learned 
about and studied the conflict in Darfur, and he became determined to 
help. As an 8th-grade student and president of the Central School in 
Glencoe, he organized a ``Dance for Darfur,'' a fundraiser for the Luol 
Deng Foundation, which works with the World Food Program in Darfur, to 
assist in food distribution. The ``Dance For Darfur'' was the first 
charity dance ever held at the school, and helped raise awareness, and 
over $1,000, with over $5,000 more contributed by the community.
  Gene Marks, of Northbrook, realized that many Latinos in the 10th 
Congressional District come from only three villages in Mexico: La Luz, 
Tonatico, and San Jose. Last year Northbrook purchased a new ambulance 
for the Fire Department, and instead of scrapping the fully operational 
older ambulance, Gene contacted my office and arranged with our Latino 
Advisory Board member, Miguel Arizmendi, to donate this ambulance to 
Tonatico, Mexico, the first ambulance they will ever have, where it 
will benefit thousands.
  Connie Duckworth, of Lake Forest, after retiring as a partner and the 
managing director of Goldman Sachs, she founded Arzu to better the 
lives of Afghan women. This nonprofit group provides sustainable 
incomes and access to education for many women in Afghanistan by 
selling homemade rugs here in the United States.
  The Fred Outa Foundation in Northbrook, in 2006 Susan Vaickauski of 
Northbrook and Maryann Gibbs of Gurnee founded this foundation to raise 
money for a girls school in Kenya. The foundation provides school 
supplies, food and medicines, all for Fred Outa's school in Kenya.
  The International Sharing Ministry in Libertyville was created by 
Libertyville's St. Joseph's parish in 2005 to build an elementary 
school for the children of Mailisita in Tanzania. Additionally, the 
organization is now building a guest house in Moshi to generate revenue 
for people traveling in the country or climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro. To 
date, they have raised over $100,000 and built five classrooms already.
  Pastor Stackhouse of Waukegan, who from May 2007 to July 2007 led his 
church members at Sign of the Dove Church in Waukegan and North Chicago 
to institute a water system and clean rainwater for local residents in 
Masaka, Uganda. This is notable because his community of South Waukegan 
and North Chicago is a lower-income community. But they are 
representing the United States very well overseas.
  Wendy Abrams of Highland Park is one of the leaders in the fight 
against climate change. Wendy developed and implemented Chicago's 
``Cool Globes'' art and public awareness exhibit along the lake front. 
In conjunction with the city, 123 five-foot-tall globes were designed 
for artists on environmental themes to raise awareness about reducing 
our carbon footprint.
  The COVE Alliance of Indian Creek, in April 2005 formed a nonprofit 
organization serving orphaned and vulnerable children in central 
Uganda. Parishioners are actively involved in fund-raising, as well as 
mission trips to Kapeeka, Uganda.
  Finally, an honorable mention to Dr. Wayne Goldstein, who is a doctor 
to doctors in Sierra Leone. These 10, with an honorable mention, 11 
Americans, have led the best face of the United States overseas from my 
congressional district.

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