 Thank you very much. It's an honor for Nancy and me to welcome you to the White House. And at this point it's my job to say a few words about... Think of a gentleman who in his later life is the only living survivor of the Johnstown flood. And when his time came to meet his maker, he went to heaven. But in his later years he had been on the mash potato circuit quite busily in demand as a speaker and lecturer to tell about these experiences with the flood. St. Peter said to him, you know, when newcomers are up here there are a lot of people that would like to hear about things that have been happening down below and since their departure and you haven't... Oh, he said yes and told him about his experience and yes, he'd be very happy to speak. So they gathered them and St. Peter brought him over there, introduced him very graciously and then as he stepped back from the podium and the gentleman, the newcomer, stepped up he whispered to him, that man in the aisle seat second row is named Noah. Well, I may not be able to tell you much about volunteerism that you don't already know but it's appropriate for us to gather today in a spirit of celebration. Reflect upon the goodness of the American people and their willingness to give each other a helping hand. The spirit of volunteerism is deeply ingrained in us as a nation. Indeed, when asked by pollsters, most Americans state their belief that no matter how big government gets and no matter how many services it provides it can never take the place of volunteers. In other words, the American people understand that there are no substitutes for gifts of service given from the heart. In the past few years, moreover, we've witnessed an unprecedented outpouring of the volunteer spirit a reassertion of goodwill and neighborliness. Last year alone, individuals, corporations, bequests and foundations gave nearly 80 billion dollars to good causes and that is an all-time record high in our country. According to polls, and I know this includes people in this room some 92 million Americans, more than a third of our entire population perform volunteer work year in and year out. And I just have to believe that we're entitled to feel pretty good about that. You can see that these volunteer efforts, these private sector initiatives, all around. Hands across America last week represented a dramatic national effort to help the poor and homeless who live in our midst. Just Say No is a largely volunteer organization teaching children around the world to say no to drugs. And a week and a half ago, Nancy hosted a Just Say No rally here at the White House. It was one of those small affairs that she liked so much. There couldn't have been more than 2,300 kids here. But although Just Say No requires school officials, teachers and especially parents to give up a great deal of their time, Nancy told me that everyone that she spoke to at the rally was convinced that it was not only worth it, but of vital importance for the future. Then there are the volunteer efforts in which each of you is involved. You're champion givers, all of you. People of heart and selflessness, examples for the entire nation. I don't want to, you know, just looking at that note there, I've been scared to death until I finally got it out. How easy it would have been to just glance down and then say selfishness, instead of selflessness. But I don't want to go into what each of you has done before we present the awards. But I am, if you don't mind eager to say a word to Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert Lake. The lakes operate an American Red Cross Mobile Administrative Supply Unit. It's an 18-wheel tractor trailer. Last year they spent 126 days away from home assisting with disaster relief. And I had to tell that I just can't resist because I just want to say, keep on truckin'. But all of you have our deepest thanks and admiration. I can think of nothing finer to say about our country than that it has produced men and women like you, true heroes of the heart. God bless you. And now, if Governor Romney and Donna Alvarado, she is Director of Action and he is Chairman of the Board of Volunteer. And if they will come up here and assist my roommate and me in handing out the medals. Mr. President, it has been a year since you have appointed me as Director of Action, the Federal Volunteer Agency. And we like to think of ourselves as a small agency with a big heart. And I have had the opportunity to visit communities across America. I am pleased to tell you that your vision of Americans, helping Americans to make our communities better places to live for every citizen, is truly a reality. The people that we are honoring here today began with that vision, many of them sitting at their kitchen tables with just an idea that they thought that they could get off the ground. And in many cases it was sheer determination and a determination to overcome all obstacles in order to achieve that vision. And I know that their determination and their success is in large measure due to the vision that you have given all of us in your leadership in believing in the spirit of volunteerism in this country. I am very pleased that Mrs. Reagan was able to join us because as I travel around communities, I hear from so many different groups how they became interested in working to combat the terrible problems of drug abuse, working with runaway children, working with foster grandparents because of your leadership and your commitment to these programs. It is a great honor to present the 1986 recipients of the President's Volunteer Action Awards. 19 individuals, organizations and corporations who are carrying out your vision in their communities and they are here representing only a small part of what is happening in America today in the field of volunteerism. I would ask for the 1986 award recipients to please step forward at this time. The first award recipient is the Oregon Shakespearean Festival Association from Ashland, Oregon. The festival involves a volunteer force of over 800 in every aspect of the Tony Award-winning theater whose performances annually draw over 400,000 people and generate $47 million for the Ashland community. Accepting on behalf of the volunteers is Maxine Hunnell. The boys' choir of Harlem, counselors and tutors to the more than 100 choristers who have a 100% high school graduation rate. Dr. Walter J. Turnbull, founder and director. Carol Sasaki, Pullman, Washington. Carol Sasaki founded Helping Ourselves Means Education to assist women in completing their college education through counseling, emotional support and assistance in applying for grants and loans. Carol Sasaki. Kimmy Gray, Washington, D.C. Since Kimmy Gray founded College Here We Come in the Kenilworth Courts Public Housing Project where she lives, the tutoring, counseling and fundraising activities have encouraged and enabled more than 500 young people to attend college. Kimmy Gray. Raymond J. Moore, Tampa, Florida. As volunteer director of Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation, Ray Moore treated, housed and returned to their natural habitat over 1,300 injured wild animals during the past year, including several endangered species, Raymond J. Moore. Jerome H. Stone, Chicago, Illinois. Since Mr. Stone founded the Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Association in 1980 to raise the funds necessary to help families cope with the disease, increase public education and fund medical research, the budget of this national volunteer health organization has grown to over $7 million. Jerome H. Stone. Operation Santa Claus, Sacramento, California. Founded in 1948 by James Nelson and a group of civilian employees at the Sacramento Army Depot, Operation Santa Claus vividly illustrates the community spirit in the Department of Defense by reaching out to over 9,000 local military and civilian families year-round with food boxes, clothing and emergency household supplies. Accepting the award is Mrs. James Nelson. Anthony Baraka, Apopka, Florida. Tony Baraka has become a one-man source of food and clothing to about 1,000 people a day in the rural area near Orlando, matching surplus food from bakeries and supermarkets with needs in a children's home, the Salvation Army, and several migrant camps. Anthony Baraka. Gloria Allred, Los Angeles, California. Ms. Allred, a Los Angeles attorney, developed Project Amnesty to increase collection of child support in five California counties, resulting in additional collections of over $2 million and an overall increase of 13.5% during the two-month project period. Gloria Allred. Heifer Project International, Little Rock, Arkansas. Founded by Dan West in 1944 to provide livestock to needy communities around the world, Heifer Project has sent over 74,000 animals and nearly 2 million poultry to over 100 countries to help the residents become self-sufficient. Accepting the award is Mrs. Lucille West Ruppel, widow of the project's founder. AID Association for Lutherans, Appleton, Wisconsin. AAL, a Fraternal Benefit Association, last year provided the organizational and financial resources enabling its 1.3 million members to conduct over 140,000 community activities, ranging from health fairs and pre-retirement seminars to food drives and assistance and relief efforts. Accepting the award is Mary Cohn. I must mention that Mary is the AAL Volunteer of the Year from Toledo, Ohio. The Volunteer Connection, Dallas, Texas. A multimedia volunteer awareness and recruitment campaign sponsored by the Dallas NBC affiliate, KXAS-TV, the Volunteer Centers of Dallas and Tarrant Counties, 5 Junior Leagues, 2 United Ways, and more than 700 nonprofit organizations. The year-long Volunteer Connection recruited more than 37,000 new volunteers in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, an increase of more than 97%. Accepting the award is Frank O'Neill, General Manager of KXAS-TV. Liaison Incorporated, New Hyde Park, New York. Begun in 1982 on Long Island to involve local citizens in crime prevention, Liaison now involves over 2,000 volunteers in community watch programs, community safety education, and in teaching nursery and kindergarten children about abduction and child abuse. Accepting the award is Paula Brocksmire, Founder. Gilbert in Madeline Lake, Bellevue, Kentucky. The President has mentioned Mr. and Mrs. Lake. They are the only volunteer team in the country to have full responsibility for an American Red Cross Mobile Administrative Supply Unit. They spent 126 days on the road and they spent their time assisting in four major relief operations in Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Maryland. Mr. and Mrs. Lake. Lewis Leader, Brooklyn, New York. In 1979, Mr. Leader founded the National Association for the Jewish Poor, which now involves 900 high school and college students in providing services to over 1,500 predominantly homebound seniors in the South Bronx, Harlem, Brownsville, and East New York. Lewis Leader. National Association of Letter Carriers, Washington, D.C. Developed in 1982 to involve letter carriers from the U.S. Postal Service in monitoring the well-being of elderly and disabled adults, Project Alert carries out an active public-private partnership with local service agencies such as the United Way, Red Cross, and Councils on the Aging. Accepting the award is Vincent Sombrato, President of the National Association of Letter Carriers. Mutual Benefit Companies, Kansas City, Missouri. Since Mutual Benefit began the model block program in 1984, company resources and volunteers have been combined with tax credits and city capital improvements to rehabilitate and revitalize two adjacent blocks in the inner city area of Kansas City. Accepting the award, J. Eric Helsing, Executive Vice President Mutual Benefit. Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone of West Virginia, Charleston, West Virginia. CMP sponsors numerous economic development programs across West Virginia, including Partners in Education, which involves more than 150 employees in school adoption programs, and a business retention and expansion program, which assist communities in assessing their strengths and focusing their economic development efforts. Thomas Burns, Vice President. Security Pacific National Bank, Los Angeles, California. In 1985, Security Pacific employees volunteered in the company's 630 offices in assisting over 300 community organizations in programs as diverse as providing job skills training, assisting in adoptive school programs, and volunteering through the Secura Team effort, which involves over 3,000 employees in short-term community projects. Accepting the award, Gail Jasso, Vice President for Community Relations. Mr. President, I think you can see that your goal of involving the private sector, the federal government, the corporations across America, and individual private citizens is truly making its mark. We thank you all for being here on behalf of President and Mrs. Reagan, and this concludes today's ceremony. Thank you very much.