President George W. Bush will present the President’s Volunteer Service Award to Betty Cheney when he arrives in Columbus, Ohio, on Wednesday, March 9, 2005. Cheney, 17, is an active volunteer with Big Brothers Big Sisters and other community service organizations.

President Bush has called on all Americans to volunteer two years or 4,000 hours over the course of their lifetimes, and he created USA Freedom Corpsto help foster a culture of service, citizenship, and responsibility. Since March 2002, President Bush has met with more than 400 individuals around the country, like Cheney, who are answering the call to volunteer service.

For the past two years, Cheney has been a volunteer with the Big Brothers Big Sisters After-School Program at Thomas A. Edison Elementary School. In addition, she is active with the Grandview Heights High School Key Club, a service organization that promotes community service projects. Cheney has organized and led fundraisers for tsunami relief and led her high school’s recycling efforts, including participation in Nike’s Reuse-A-Shoe program that utilizes recycled shoes to improve athletic playing surfaces. Cheney has also been an instructor for Safety Town, a program designed to teach young children life-saving safety rules.

The President's Volunteer Service Award, an initiative of the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation, is available to Americans of all ages who have demonstrated their dedication to volunteer service. More information about the award is available at www.presidentialserviceawards.gov.

Through USA Freedom Corps, President Bush wants to help every American answer the Call to Service by strengthening and expanding service opportunities. Interested volunteers can find available service opportunities in their communities at www.usafreedomcorps.gov or by calling 1-877-USA-CORPS. For information designed to show elementary and middle school students how they can start making a difference by volunteering, visit www.usafreedomcorpskids.gov.

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