2005
Honorees:
Jack Lightfoot
"In this line of work, no one can accomplish anything
alone."
April 12, 2005
Thank you. I am truly honored to be
accepting this award. The Children’s Alliance has been a great
partner in the advocacy wars, and I want to thank them.
I think this award is actually a recognition of the strong team of which
I am fortunate to be a member. In this line of work, no one can accomplish
anything alone. Child and Family Services’ commitment to child
advocacy is unique in New Hampshire, and I am grateful for the opportunity
and support it provides. I hate to start listing names at CFS, but I
do have to give special acknowledgement to Cynthia Herman and Mike Ostrowski,
who personify this commitment.
If any person outside my family set me on this path, it was Gus Moynihan,
whom I was fortunate to have as a teacher and advisor throughout my
career at Hopkinton High School. I thank him for helping me to understand
the importance of looking beneath the surface, to investigate the reasons
for things being as they are, to challenge popular assumptions.
Finally, I thank my family. My parents taught me to be concerned for
the well-being of everybody, that we are all part of an interdependent
web. My wonderful wife Susan gracefully puts up with me and my schedule,
and provides loving support for all that I do. Our children and grandchildren
demonstrate why it is that I do what I do.
Tonight’s ceremony could not come at a more appropriate time.
The House of Representatives will vote next week on a two-year state
budget. That document, more than any other, and certainly more than
any rhetoric, demonstrates whether New Hampshire is truly dedicated
to maintaining and expanding a commitment to raising healthy children.
Over the past few weeks we have seen proposals that move us backward,
dismantling a solid framework that has positioned New Hampshire for
moving ahead in the 21st century. As we gather tonight, it is still
uncertain whether poor children will have access to health care, whether
all children will have equal access to education, or whether supports
and services will be available for families dealing with alcohol, mental
health or other problems.
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Award categories
Watch WMUR-TV's "The Help You Need" promotional
ad about the Children's Alliance Awards.
Watch our promotional ad
on WMUR-TV, featuring former Governor Walter Peterson
