[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 5]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 6152]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




        RECOGNIZING VFW POST 7327 AND THE 2015 AWARD RECIPIENTS

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. GERALD E. CONNOLLY

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                          Friday, May 1, 2015

  Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the Springfield 
Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7327 and the recipients of its 2015 
Annual Awards.
  The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) traces its beginnings to 1899 when 
veterans of the Spanish American War established local organizations to 
bring awareness to their service and to advocate for veterans 
retirement benefits and improved medical care. Annually, the nearly 2 
million members of the VFW and its Auxiliaries contribute more than 8.6 
million hours of volunteerism in the community, including participation 
in Make A Difference Day and National Volunteer Week.
  With approximately 600 Comrades and 150 Ladies Auxiliary members, the 
Springfield VFW Post 7327 stands out for the depth of its commitment to 
our community. Often called ``The Friendliest VFW Post in Virginia,'' 
Post 7327 has one of the most aggressive ADOPT-A-UNIT programs in the 
entire VFW organization to support our service members stationed 
overseas. VFW Post 7327 visits the VA hospital at least quarterly, 
bringing along goodie bags for our Wounded Warriors. Each Thanksgiving 
and Christmas, VFW Post 7327 adopts military families in need through 
the USO and provides them with meal baskets for each holiday, gifts for 
children, commissary cards for the parents, and a Christmas party where 
the children can meet Santa and receive a gift-filled stocking. The 
Ladies Auxiliary members collect, sort, and distribute more than 2,000 
pieces of clothing each month to various charitable organizations. VFW 
Post 7327 is a strong supporter of local youth organizations including 
the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and Little League Baseball that contribute 
greatly to the education and well-being of our children.
  Each year, VFW Post 7327 bestows awards to local students who have 
submitted outstanding essays on a theme and to local teachers and 
public safety officers in recognition of their extraordinary actions 
and dedication. I am honored to submit the names of the following 2015 
honorees:


                              Patriot's Pen

  First Place--Connor Michael Ringvelski
  Second Place--Margaret Odom--6th Grade, Keene Mill Elementary School
  Third Place--Cameron Garber--6th Grade, Silverbrook Elementary School


                           Voice of Democracy

  First Place--Regine Marie Victoria--12th Grade, Mount Vernon High 
School


                           Teacher of the Year

  Tiffany Graczyk--7th Grade History, Edgar Allan Poe Middle School, 
Annandale, VA


                              Public Safety

  Dr. Jeffrey Alton--Franconia Volunteer Fire Department. Nomination
  Officer Christopher F. Cosgriff--West Springfield Police District 
Station
  PFC James Lopez--Mount Vernon District Police Station
  Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in congratulating the 
2015 Awardees and in thanking the members, Ladies Auxiliary, program 
sponsors, and supporters of VFW Post 7327 for their continued service 
to our country and our community.

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