President George W. Bush will meet Anthony Hayes when he arrives in Columbia, South Carolina, on Thursday, October 24th. In response to the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, Hayes created the Wills for Heroes program in order to provide emergency response professionals with access to basic estate planning, advice and services.

In his State of the Union address, President Bush called on all Americans to dedicate at least two years over their lifetime to service to their communities, our country and the world. President Bush is recognizing individuals around the country who are answering the call to service and will recognize Hayes as an example of the dedication to service he is hoping to instill in all Americans through his USA Freedom Corps initiative.

After learning that many of the fire fighters and police officers who were victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks did not have wills, Hayes created the Wills for Heroes program to help provide emergency response professionals with information and guidance for basic estate planning. With the help of his colleagues at Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough, LLP, Hayes began visiting fire and police stations in his local community, providing free legal assistance to those in need. To date, this program has provided over 260 legal wills to emergency response professionals in the Columbia, South Carolina, area and will soon expand to additional cities.

President Bush created the USA Freedom Corps office at the White House to foster an American culture of service, citizenship and responsibility. Through the USA Freedom Corps, President Bush wants to help every American answer the call to service by strengthening and expanding service opportunities to protect our homeland, support our communities and extend American compassion around the world. Interested volunteers can find information on the USA Freedom Corps at www.usafreedomcorps.gov or by calling 1-877-USA-Corps.

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