President George W. Bush will present the President’s Volunteer Service Award to Joe MacDougald II when he arrives at the airport in Tampa, Florida, on Friday, February 17, 2006. MacDougald is a volunteer with the Special Operations Warrior Foundation. To thank them for making a difference in the lives of others, President Bush has met with more than 470 individuals around the country, like MacDougald, since March 2002.

MacDougald has been a volunteer for five years with the Special Operations Warrior Foundation, a non-profit organization that provides scholarship grants, financial aid, and educational counseling for children of Special Operations personnel killed in an operational mission or training accident. MacDougald has volunteered more than 2,000 hours as a technical consultant and webmaster for the foundation.

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.

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