President George W. Bush will meet Fred Ruhrwien when he arrives in St. Louis, Missouri, on Thursday, October 7, 2004. Ruhrwien, 75, is an active volunteer with several organizations including the St. Louis Convention and Visitor’s Commission, the St. Louis Sports Commission, and Cardinals Care.

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 Ruhrwien, who are answering the call to volunteer service.

Every Saturday, Ruhrwien volunteers at the central information deskfor the St. Louis Convention and Visitor’s Commission at the Forest Park Visitor Center. He also volunteers with Cardinals Care, an organization that builds ball fields for local youth. Ruhrwien’s volunteer work with the St. Louis Sports Commission includes helping to organize large events such as the NCAA basketball finals and the 2004 Olympic Torch Relay. In addition, Ruhrwien volunteered with St. Louis 2004, an organization which arranged activities to celebrate the 100-year anniversary of the 1904 World’s Fair.

Through 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 at www.usafreedomcorps.gov or by calling 1-877-USA-CORPS.

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