[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 9]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 11472]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            HONORING THE VOLUNTEER SERVICE OF KARISSA TATOM

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. WALT MINNICK

                                of idaho

                    in the house of representatives

                          Monday, May 4, 2009

  Mr. MINNICK. Madam Speaker, I would like to congratulate and honor a 
young student from my district who has achieved national recognition 
for exemplary volunteer service in her community. Karissa Tatom, 17, of 
Meridian, a senior at Cole Valley Christian Schools, has been named one 
of the top honorees in Idaho by the 2009 Prudential Spirit of Community 
Awards program, an annual honor conferred on the most impressive 
student volunteers in each state and the District of Columbia.
  Ms. Karissa Tatom is being recognized as a Distinguished Finalist by 
the program's judges, and will receive a bronze medal. Ms. Tatom 
learned how to knit so she could make hats and scarves for the ``Mad 
Hatter'' organization, which provides hats to women and children who 
have suffered hair loss due to chemotherapy.
  In light of numerous statistics indicating that Americans today are 
less involved in their communities, it's vital that we encourage and 
support the kind of selfless contributions 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. 
Karissa Tatom are inspiring examples to all of us and are among our 
brightest hopes for tomorrow.
  Ms. Tatom should be extremely proud to have been singled out from the 
thousands dedicated volunteers who participated in this year's program. 
I heartily applaud her 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 extraordinary 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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