[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 5]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 6424]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     A TRIBUTE TO SAMANTHA DILOCKER

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. TOM LATHAM

                                of iowa

                    in the house of representatives

                          Tuesday, May 7, 2013

  Mr. LATHAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and congratulate 13-
year-old Samantha Dilocker of Red Oak, Iowa, who has been named the 
state's top middle school youth volunteer for 2013 by the Prudential 
Spirit of Community Awards.
   The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program is our country's 
largest youth recognition program based entirely on volunteer community 
service. The program was created in conjunction with Prudential and the 
National Association of Secondary School Principals to honor middle and 
high school students for outstanding service to benefit others at the 
local, state, and national level. Since 1995, 345,000 American youths 
have participated in this program, with only 102 state honorees chosen 
each year.
   Samantha's path to this prestigious award began in 2006 when she 
received the troubling news that her mother's employer would be closing 
its doors resulting in lost jobs not just at home, but across her 
community. Equipped with the determination to help her neighbors, 
Samantha began to establish an auction for baked goods at her local 
Elks Lodge by soliciting donations, creating advertising posters and 
signs, and working hands-on to run the auction. Samantha's first 
auction raised more than $1,000 and left no doubt in her mind that her 
work would continue. Now, her annual craft and baked goods auctions 
have raised more than $22,000 over the past seven years for a local 
food pantry, a community toy drive, a scholarship fund, and even 
provided assistance for a family whose young boy was diagnosed with 
cancer.
   As a state honoree, Samantha received a $1,000 prize, an engraved 
silver medallion, and was recently recognized at an award ceremony and 
gala dinner reception at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural 
History in our nation's capital.
   Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride that I recognize and applaud 
Miss Dilocker for her sincere dedication to positively impacting the 
lives of others in her community and beyond. Samantha's commitment to a 
cause greater than herself is a testament to the high-quality character 
and unwavering work ethic instilled in Iowans both young and old. Our 
future is bright with young people like Samantha, and it is an honor to 
represent her and her family in the United States Congress. I invite my 
colleagues in the House to join me in congratulating Samantha, thanking 
her supportive family, and thanking all of those involved in this 
wonderful project for their life-changing efforts.