[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 6]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 8072]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




      RECOGNIZING CAN DO UPON THE OCCASION OF ITS 60TH ANNIVERSARY

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. LOU BARLETTA

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 7, 2016

  Mr. BARLETTA. Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to recognize the Community 
Area New Development Organization (CAN DO) upon the occasion of its 
60th Anniversary. CAN DO is a private, non-profit, industrial and 
economic development corporation operating in Northeastern 
Pennsylvania. CAN DO has been doing great work in my hometown of 
Hazleton, and in fact my office back home is in the CAN DO building at 
1 South Church Street. With a mission of improving the quality of life 
in the Greater Hazleton area through the creation and retention of 
employment opportunities, CAN DO's presence in Northeastern 
Pennsylvania has provided my constituents with the resources they need 
to secure meaningful employment and engagement in their communities.
  In 1956, a small group of merchants and professional men believed 
that they could turn the tide on Hazleton's post-coal mining economic 
troubles. It was this spirit that fueled Dr. Edgar L. Dessen, the 
Greater Hazleton Chamber of Commerce, and a group of local civic and 
business leaders to create a community economic development 
organization, known as CAN DO. The organization's first fundraising 
initiative encouraged residents to donate a ``dime-a-week,'' which they 
hoped would raise enough money to invest in new industries across the 
city. Growing up, I remember hearing stories of red lunch pails 
displayed around town to promote their fundraising effort, as well as 
the ``Miles of Dimes'' event, which saw men, women, and children place 
their dimes onto a strip of tape on Broad Street in downtown Hazleton. 
After this successful fundraiser and starting with the purchase of one 
industrial park, CAN DO now operates one corporate center and three 
industrial parks in Northeastern Pennsylvania, including Humboldt 
Industrial Park, which is one of the largest parks in Pennsylvania and 
an employer for over 10,000 constituents in my district. As mayor, I 
saw firsthand how CAN DO continued to grow throughout the region. They 
now offer a wide range of services to the community, such as 
infrastructure development, financial assistance, and resources for 
entrepreneurs.
  CAN DO's commitment to the community in which they operate is evident 
through their receipt of numerous awards throughout the years. In 2006, 
CAN DO won a Best of Class Award for its 50th Anniversary video and 
commemorative book, and an Excellence Award for the marketing 
department's print advertisement placed in Attache magazine. Also in 
2006, CAN DO won the U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in Energy 
and Environmental Design (LEED) Award for a property in the CAN DO 
Corporate Center. In 2008, CAN DO was named Large Agency of the Year by 
the Pennsylvania Economic Development Association. These various 
accolades exemplify the superior service and community advancement 
provided by CAN DO, and I am confident that their continued engagement 
will be recognized for years to come.
  Mr. Speaker, it is with gratitude and admiration that I honor the 
Community Area New Development Organization (CAN DO) upon the occasion 
of its 60th Anniversary. Time and again, CAN DO has exemplified the 
bond between private enterprise and community service through targeted 
initiatives and a commitment to excellence in Northeastern 
Pennsylvania. I wish to congratulate CAN DO on 60 years of meaningful 
community engagement, and look forward to witnessing the continued 
service provided by such a selfless and strategic organization.

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