MELHA SHRINERS-CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT-HON. RICHARD E. NEAL (Extensions of Remarks - March 02, 2004)
HON. RICHARD E. NEAL
OF MASSACHUSETTS
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
TUESDAY, MARCH 2, 2004
Mr. NEAL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Melha Shrine Circus of Springfield. For 50 years the Melha Shriners have proudly presented this show as a great and historic form of family entertainment.
The Shriners have done this for the past half of a century in order to raise money to fund their marching units and other community activities in western Massachusetts. These events are meant to maintain their visibility and presence in the community so that they can continue to support their main message about their hospital work.
Beyond merely putting on a circus to entertain families across western Massachusetts, these philanthropists also always perform what they like to call "The Community Service Show." For this event they donate all of the almost 5,000 tickets to the circus to various community service groups who deal with children, adults, and families in need of aid. By bringing a little extra light into the lives of people down on their luck the Melha Shriners simply show that they are willing to take the extra step to give back to the community in which they live and work without asking anything in return.
It is a great honor to be able to rise today and commend this giving group of people from Springfield, Massachusetts. Their commitment to family entertainment and charity is admirable and sets an excellent example to others. This spring the Melha Shriners will go out with their circus tent. And this spring for the 50th year in a row, they will bring laughs to children, smiles to adults, and they will give back to the community as only they can do. I am proud to be a long-time supporter of the Melha Shriners, and so I wish you luck with the circus this year and hope for 50 more years of the Shriners.
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