Honoring Ed Casey, Recipient of the "Heart O'Gold Award"
HONORING ED CASEY, RECIPIENT OF THE "HEART O'GOLD AWARD" -- (Extensions of Remarks - February 04, 2004)
SPEECH OF
HON. RICHARD E. NEAL
OF MASSACHUSETTS
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2004
Mr. NEAL of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure today that I honor Ed Casey, an outstanding American who has dedicated himself to cultural exploration and community service, as the "Heart O'Gold Award" is bestowed upon him by the Quaboag Highlander Pipe Band of Monson, Massachusetts.
Ed Casey is an icon in the Pioneer Valley and western Massachusetts and is well known throughout the community for his commitment to bagpipes and Celtic culture. As a resident of Springfield and Belchertown, MA, Ed has played his pipes at parades, inaugurations, celebrations, and internments. He is loved by so many in our area.
Mr. Casey, who spent years as a public school teacher in Holyoke, MA, has taught the craft of playing the bagpipes to many others interested in learning to play. Yet, unlike most music teachers, Ed did not learn to play music through the traditional route of lessons and formal training. He learned to play the bagpipes, as he would say, "by ear" and "by heart."
Mr. Speaker, there are many families in western Massachusetts who have never met Ed Casey, but perhaps it is their lives that have been most directly impacted by his generosity. For years, in lieu of accepting any fee for performing at internments, Ed Casey has directed families to instead make donations to the Open Pantry, a food collection and distribution center in Springfield that feeds the hungry in western Massachusetts. In doing so, thousands of dollars have been collected to provide food for the poor and the needy.
It is my pleasure to honor Ed Casey today in the CONGRESSIONAL RECORD as someone whose selflessness and talent should be recognized and emulated by those around him. Congratulations Ed upon receiving this honor. Your good work has not gone unnoticed.
END