U.S. Rep. Nick J. Rahall (D-WV) recently recognized Erin Lavery, 17, of Huntington, for her selection as one of two of West Virginia's top youth volunteers for 2006 by The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, a nationwide program honoring students for outstanding acts of volunteerism.

Lavery was nominated by Huntington High School and is being honored for her work in the creation of a month-long nutrition and fitness education program. As a state honoree, Lavery will receive $1,000, an engraved silver medallion and an all-expense-paid trip in early May to Washington, D.C., where she will join Jacob Hixenbaugh of Fairmont and the top two honorees from each of the other states and the District of Columbia for several days of national recognition events. Ten of them will be named America's top youth volunteers for 2006 at that time.

Rahall's remarks submitted into the Congressional Record are as follows:

Mr. Speaker,

I would like to recognize Erin Lavery, of Huntington, WV for being named a top honoree in the 2006 Prudential Spirit of Community Award. I would like to congratulate and honor this innovative young woman who has shown exemplary volunteer service in her community.

Ms. Lavery is being recognized for organizing a monthlong nutrition and physical fitness education program that included the use of pedometers by all 1,600 students and faculty at Huntington High School. As an athlete and lifelong volunteer, Erin wanted to help classmates and staff members develop a commitment to healthy eating habits and physical activity. Motivated by the high rate of obesity that is prevalent in West Virginia, she states that she wanted to take a proactive stand to do something about the problem.

Erin had heard about a small pilot program using pedometers at a nearby school, and thought that idea could be of a comprehensive health education program for her entire school. She developed handouts and a video to introduce her program, and then recruited student volunteers to help her distribute pedometers donated by the county health department to all students and teachers, along with sheets for them to record the number of steps taken each week. To encourage participation, Erin publicized the program through school and community media, and awarded random prizes for turning in completed record sheets. She also hung 252 large posters of nutrition and fitness information all over the school, and arranged for taste tests and fitness demonstrations during lunch. After she had collected and analyzed their data, Erin found that 35 percent of the participants had increased their activity level, and 62 percent said they were more motivated to live a healthier lifestyle.

The program that brought this innovative young woman to our attention - The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards - was created by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals in 1995 to show youth volunteers that their contributions are critically important and highly valued, and to inspire other young people to follow their example.

Ms. Lavery should be extremely proud to have been singled out from the thousands of dedicated volunteers who participated in this year's program. I fully applaud Ms. Lavery for her initiative in seeking to make her community, and West Virginia as a whole, a better place to live, and for the positive impact she has had on the lives of others. She has demonstrated a level of commitment and accomplishment that is truly extraordinary in today's world, and deserves our sincere admiration and respect. Her actions show that young Americans can - and do - play important roles in our communities, and that America's community spirit continues to hold tremendous promise for the future.