[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 6] [Extensions of Remarks] [Pages 7581-7582] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]HONORING KARIN WALSER ______ HON. JAMES P. McGOVERN of massachusetts in the house of representatives Thursday, May 6, 2010 Mr. McGOVERN. Madam Speaker, I rise today on behalf of Mr. Lynch, Mr. Delahunt, Ms. Tsongas, Mr. Kind, Mr. Markey and Mr. Tierney to pay tribute to Karin Walser. Karin is the founder of Horton's Kids, a nonprofit that provides comprehensive services to the children of Washington, DC's Ward 8, improving the quality of their daily lives and nuturing their desire and ability to succeed. For over 20 years, Karin has demonstrated an inspirational commitment to the health and happiness of hundreds of children served by Horton's Kids. I have known Karin for over 20 years. We both had the honor of serving on the staff of the late Congressman Joe Moakley. Karin founded Horton's Kids in 1989 while working as Congressman Moakley's press secretary. When she stopped at a Capitol Hill gas station late on a Sunday night and several children offered to pump her gas for spare change, the idea for Horton's Kids began to take shape. Karin initially enlisted friends and Congressional co-workers to take a small number of the children on field trips in their personal cars over the weekends. The program next expanded to tutoring sessions on Tuesday nights to encourage academic achievement. Today, hundreds of children from Anacostia regularly participate in Horton's Kids mentoring and tutoring programs. They also receive dental and eye care, enjoy birthday and holiday celebrations, participate in community service projects, and attend a six-week summer camp dedicated to improving literacy and to preventing the ``summer slide.'' Most importantly, these children benefit from the attention, love, and dedication of over 500 volunteer mentors who help enrich their lives, expand educational opportunities, and offer as much personal attention as possible. Horton's Kids can help so many kids because of the financial generosity of individuals, corporations, civic groups and foundations. But their greatest resources are the enthusiastic and dedicated volunteers--many of whom work full time on Capitol Hill--and their talented, dedicated staff. Monday and Tuesday night tutoring in Rayburn House Office Building draws Hill staff and professionals from throughout the Washington area. On Wednesdays, a partnership with the U.S. Department of Education brings Horton's Kids to their facilities for a third night of tutoring with Department staff. And in 2008, Horton's Kids added a Wednesday evening academic enrichment program for older students, providing additional mentoring from committed professionals. Karin Walser has earned numerous well-deserved honors and awards in recent years, including the WJLA-ABC 7 Working Women Award, the Bryn Mawr School Young Alumni Award, and a briefing with former President [[Page 7582]] Bush followed by a Presidential mention as a ``social entrepreneur'' in a national speech on mentoring. She was chosen as WETA's Hometown Hero for April 2005 and was featured on NBC Nightly News' ``Making a Difference.'' Karin and the inspirational story behind Horton's Kids were also featured in Allison Silberburg's 2009 book, Visionaries in Our Midst. Karin Walser's continued commitment to the children and families of Washington, DC's Ward 8 has transformed hundreds of lives. The children of Horton's Kids are overcoming obstacles and succeeding: graduating high school, finding internships, and applying to colleges. Their growth is a testament to the dedicated efforts of Karin Walser. Marquitta Jones became a Horton's Kid as a young girl, attending tutoring programs and Sunday field trips. Now enrolled in college, Marquitta credits Karin Walser for her success. ``Karin cared about me and my education when not many did,'' Marquitta says. ``She's made a difference in our neighborhood where the kids need someone to believe in them.'' As Marquitta says, ``one person can make a difference to children, and Karin has gone above and beyond.'' Madam Speaker, Karin Walser is an inspiration to us all. I know that all of my colleagues in the House join me in paying tribute to this remarkable woman. ____________________