On his arrival in Minneapolis, Minnesota today, President George W. Bush will meet with Minneapolis native Will Gove to recognize him as an example of the lifetime commitment to service he is hoping to instill in all Americans. In his State of the Union address, President Bush called on all Americans to dedicate at least two years—the equivalent of 4,000 hours—to service to their communities, our country and the world. President Bush is recognizing men and women from around the country who are answering the call to service as part of his USA Freedom Corps initiative.

Gove is a decorated World War II combat veteran who at 83 years old is working as a full time volunteer for Urban Ventures, a nonprofit community development corporation, where he is directing the construction of two soccer fields in inner city Minneapolis.

For the past 33 years, Gove has read to the blind on a weekly radio broadcast. For the past seven years, he has been a teacher and mentor with his local Junior Achievement program. A former employee of the Honeywell Corporation, Gove also helped to establish the Honeywell Corporation National Volunteer Retiree Program-one of the first organized corporate volunteer programs for retirees in the nation.

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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