President George W. Bush will meet Tom Shaffer when he arrives in Ridley Park, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday, August 17, 2004. Shaffer is an active volunteer with Race Against Drugs, a national drug awareness and prevention program for youth.

President Bush hascalled on all Americans to volunteer two years or 4,000 hours over the course of their lifetimes, and hecreated USA Freedom Corpsto help foster a culture of service, citizenship, and responsibility. Since March 2002, President Bush has met with more than 300 individuals around the country, like Shaffer, who are answering the call to volunteer service.

Shaffer has been a volunteer with Race Against Drugs for the past four years. Race Against Drugs brings together 23 American motor sports organizations and law enforcement agencies to help convey to youth the dangers of drug use. Shaffer brings his racing team and Sprint cars to fairs and expos and talks with young people about the risks and dangers of drugs. The children are encouraged to sign a pledge to stay in school and remain drug-free. Last year, they collected 600 pledges from young people in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. Shaffer was the 2003 Eastern region recipient of the William M. Allen Award, which recognizes Boeing employees who have made outstanding contributions in the community through volunteer service.

USA Freedom Corps has launched “A Call to Summer Service,” an initiative to encourage Americans to spend a part of their summer in volunteer service. Through “A Call to Summer Service,” citizens are reminded that the summer months are an excellent time to answer the President’s Call to Service, strengthen their communities, and extend the compassion and greatness of America. Interested volunteers can find ideas for summer volunteering and information on how to get started at www.usafreedomcorps.gov.

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