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[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E813]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
RECOGNIZING THE 2020 VFW POST 7327 AMERICANISM AWARDS RECIPIENTS
______
HON. GERALD E. CONNOLLY
of virginia
in the house of representatives
Tuesday, September 1, 2020
Mr. CONNOLLY. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize the Veterans of
Foreign Wars Post 7327 in Springfield, Virginia and the winners of its
2020 Americanism 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 veteran's
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 Boys 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 specific theme and to local teachers
and public safety officers in recognition of their extraordinary
actions and dedication to the community.
I am honored to include in the Record the names of this year's award
recipients.
Patriot's Pen: 1st Place--Aleksandra S. Foss, 2nd Place--Manas A
Puri, 3rd Place--Angelica M. Shea.
Voice of Democracy: 1st Place--Prescott D. Farris.
Elementary School (K-6): Janet Basselgia, Kristin Tull.
Middle School (7-8): Cindy A. Downing, Lisa Reaves, Andrea Stanton.
High School (9-12): LTC Thomas ``Tim'' Lambert.
EMT Awards: Firefighter Medic Erin T. Eusanio.
Law Enforcement Awards: PFC Mark Tenally.
Firefighter Award: Firefighter Medic Timothy Gensimore.
Community Americanism Award: SevaTruck Foundation.
Madam Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in thanking VFW Post
7327 for its continued efforts on behalf of our community and in
congratulating the honorees of the 2020 Americanism Awards.
