‘Thank you’ from the President

***image1***“Dear Mr. President” … That’s how it started. Landstuhl Elementary and
Middle School third-grader Elise Cardona wrote a letter to President
Bush after watching Hurricane Katrina news on television.

“I saw all the people who were without houses and I thought, ‘I’m here, safe and sound, and they aren’t,’ ” Elise wrote.

Elise wanted to do something. She suggested hosting a fundraiser for
the American Red Cross. Then, after seeing President Bush on TV, she
wrote to let him know that people were concerned.

“I told President Bush that I had been thinking about those people and
was really feeling sorry about their situation,” Elise said.

Elise’s parents, Annie and David Cardona, were supportive and proud of her.
“I am impressed with her initiative,” said Mrs. Cardona. “She did this on her own, and followed through on her own ideas.”

Elise was surprised when a few weeks later she received a letter from
President Bush. He commended Elise for her generous spirit saying, her
“good work reflects the spirit of America,” he wrote. “By helping
others in need, you demonstrate that the hardest challenges brings out
the best in America.”