[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 5]
[Senate]
[Page 6303]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   CELEBRATING THE 10TH ANNUAL SENORAS OF EXCELLENCE AND SENORES OF 
                        DISTINCTION AWARDS GALA

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I rise today to recognize the 10th Annual 
Senoras of Excellence and Senores of Distinction Awards Gala hosted by 
the Foundation for Excellence and Distinction in Las Vegas, NV.
  The Foundation for Excellence and Distinction was created by Sandy 
and Roger Peltyn with the sole purpose of raising funds to award 
scholarships for young Nevada students pursuing excellence in higher 
education. Over the last 10 years, the Foundation has awarded more than 
700 scholarships through local charities, including the University of 
Nevada, Las Vegas, UNLV, Foundation, Nevada State College, Nevada 
Hospital Association, the Center for Academic Enrichment and Outreach 
at UNLV, College of Southern Nevada, Puerto Rican Association 
Scholarship Fund, HEART for children with AUTISM, Latin Chamber of 
Commerce Scholarship Fund, City Impact Center, and Miss Nevada 
Scholarship Organization. These scholarships would have not been 
possible without the support of the people of Nevada and the 
immeasurable contributions and collaboration from Karen Cashman and 
Ellie Hirschfield.
  The foundation has recognized many strong senoras and senores 
throughout the community for their work to encourage the success of 
future generations. A Senora of Excellence can best be described as a 
woman who is confident in her beliefs, loyal to family and friends, 
accepts victories and disappointments with grace, and rises above 
life's challenges. A Senor of Distinction is a man who bases his life 
on principles, raises spirits, never lets people down, and makes 
sacrifices for future generations without expecting to receive anything 
in return.
  We pay tribute to this year's award recipients and the previous 
honorees of the Senoras of Excellence and Senores of Distinction, 
Lifetime Achievement, Corporation of Distinction, and Humanitarian of 
the Year awards. This year, my dear friend Wayne Newton is the 
recipient of the Humanitarian of the Year award. I am grateful for his 
commitment to supporting education and his fierce advocacy for 
improving the lives of our Nation's service men and women.
  I thank the foundation for their continued leadership and commitment 
to youth education and congratulate this year's award recipients. I 
wish the foundation continued success in the years to come.

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