President George W. Bush will present the President’s Volunteer Service Award to Brian Webster when he arrives at Buckley Air Force Base on Friday, July 21, 2006. Webster, a technical sergeant stationed at the base, is a volunteer with Hearts Across The Miles. To thank them for making a difference in the lives of others, President Bush honors a local volunteer, called a USA Freedom Corps greeter, when he travels throughout the United States. President Bush has met with more than 500 individuals around the country, like Webster, since March 2002.

Webster is co-founder and treasurer of Hearts Across The Miles, a non-profit organization created to support deployed military personnel through care packages and thank you letters. Since its inception in 2004, Hearts Across The Miles has sent more than 3,000 boxes of toiletries and snacks to troops in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, and Qatar. Webster enlists the help of community groups and churches to acquire donations, and he works with local schools and scout troops to collect cards and letters of support from the students to accompany each package. Webster is responsible for recruiting volunteers and organizes the sorting, packing, and shipment of all boxes.

In his January 2002 State of the Union Address, President Bush called on all Americans to make a difference in their communities through volunteer service. He created USA Freedom Corps, an Office of the White House, to strengthen and expand volunteer service. Americans are responding to the President’s Call to Service. Go to www.volunteer.gov or call 1-877-USA-CORPS to find an existing volunteer service opportunity in your area or to find more information about service programs, including national service programs such as the Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, and Citizen Corps. USA Freedom Corps is also highlighting youth volunteer service. Visit www.volunteerkids.gov for games and ideas designed to show how America's youth are making a difference.

The President's Volunteer Service Award was created at the President’s direction by the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation. The Award is available to youth ages 14 and under who have completed 50 or more hours of volunteer service; to individuals 15 and older who have completed 100 or more hours; and to families or groups who have completed 200 or more hours. For more information about the Award, please visit www.presidentialserviceawards.gov.

###