FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, January 19, 2004
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The White House - USA Freedom Corps
Kathleen Mynster
202-456-7381 |
President Bush to Recognize Monroe Man for Dedication to Volunteer Service |
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President George W. Bush will meet Bruce Vanisacker upon arrival in Toledo,
Ohio, on Wednesday, January 21, 2004. Vanisacker has been an active volunteer
with FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics
since 1999.
Later this month, the USA Freedom Corps – President Bush’s initiative to
engage all Americans in service to their neighbors and their nation – will
celebrate its second anniversary. President Bush is recognizing individuals
around the country, like Vanisacker, who are answering the call to volunteer
service.
Vanisacker, an employee of the Dana Corporation, has been an active volunteer
with FIRST Robotics, a non-profit organization that teams professionals and
students together with hands-on, innovative programs in hopes of motivating
young people to explore opportunities in science, technology and
engineering. The Dana Corporation is a member of Business Strengthening America,
a self-directed effort among business leaders nationwide to engage America’s
companies and organizations in a campaign to encourage civic engagement and
volunteer service. Each year, the Dana Corporation sponsors a team of local high
school students, teachers and employees in the FIRST Robotics Contest, where
teams work together during a six-week period to design and develop a robot and
that will later compete in the contest. Vanisacker meets with students several
times each week to help them plan, create and build their robot. Students
assemble the robot with different machines and tools, learning teamwork and
engineering skills along the way.
Vanisacker also volunteers several times each year at Gettysburg National
Military Park, participating in various volunteer service projects. In the past,
he has helped build miles of fencing, repainted headstones so visitors can
clearly read the inscriptions, as well as track and inventory historic military
cannons to ensure proper placement within the Gettysburg National Military Park.
President Bush created the USA Freedom Corps office at the White House to
foster a culture of service, citizenship and responsibility. Through the USA
Freedom Corps, President Bush wants to help every American answer the call to
volunteer 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 opportunities in their own
neighborhoods through the USA Freedom Corps web site at
www.usafreedomcorps.gov or by
calling 1-877-USA-CORPS.
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