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Feb 28, 2006

CHALLENGE CHAMPIONS DINNER

Congressional leaders gathered at Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center on Tuesday, February 28, 2006 for The National Guard Youth Foundation's first annual ChalleNGe Champions Dinner to recognize military and government authorities for their continued support of the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program. Sen. Mary Landrieu (D–La) was awarded the 2006 ChalleNGe Champions Award for her instrumental efforts in securing funds to establish additional programs. Her efforts have led to three outstanding programs in Louisiana.

Alaska First Lady Nancy Murkowski and Oklahoma First Lady Kim Henry received awards for their efforts to expand the program to all 50 states and U.S. territories. Gov. Frank Murkowski (R-Alaska), Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Gov. Brad Henry (D-Okla.) accompanied the award recipients.

Noted guests included Former Secretary of Veterans Affairs Tony Principi, DHS Assistant Secretary for the Private Sector Al Martinez-Fonts, Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) and Sen. Tim Johnson (D-S.D.). Rep. Ed Pastor (D-Ariz.), Rep. Jim Gibbons (R-Nev.), Rep. Dan Boren (D-Okla.), Rep. Stephanie Herseth (D-S.D.), Rep. Norm Dicks (D-Wash) and Guam First Lady Joann Camacho were also in attendance.

The dinner also played host to a handful of celebrities. Country music star and American Idol veteran Josh Gracin, who is also a national spokesperson for the Youth ChalleNGe progam, belted out a three-song set while Youth ChalleNGe spokesperson and NBC's Apprentice 2 winner Kelly Perdew regaled audience members with stories of his time in the military, on the show and with real estate tycoon Donald Trump.

The event, emceed by CBS national network news correspondent Bob Orr and held at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center on February 28, kicked into high gear with America's tenor Daniel Rodriguez's patriotic rendition of "God Bless America." Audience members included Carolina Panthers' safety Mike Minter and the University of Kentucky's Director of Athletics Mitch Barnhart, who are also steadfast supporters of the Youth ChalleNGe program and state spokespersons for Kentucky and North Carolina, respectively.

The night concluded with cadets and program directors from across the country mixing and mingling with Gracin and Perdew and taking home memorables such as signed copies of Perdew's book "Take Command: 10 Leadership Principles I Learned in the Military and Put to Work for Donald Trump" and Gracin's self-titled gold CD.

The military community was also out in full force, with officials convening to salute the National Guard Youth Foundation. Chief of the National Guard Bureau Gen. H Steven Blum recognized the virtues of the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe, a program aimed at helping high school dropouts get back on their feet, and pledged his steadfast support.

Earlier that day, 60 cadets from Youth ChalleNGe programs across the country met with Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld for a special meeting in the briefing room of the Pentagon.

"No matter where we come from, or what mistakes we may have made along the way, we live in a country where anyone can succeed and improve their lives solely on the strength of our initiative and confidence in dreams," Rumsfeld said to a room full of cadets.

Also in attendance at the dinner was Lt. Gen. John B. Conaway, chairman of the National Guard Youth Foundation board of directors, more than 30 adjutant generals from across the country and CPL Jordan Pierson, a cadet from the Michigan Youth ChalleNGe program who received the Purple Heart last year from President Bush for his service in Iraq.