Gold 2009
The 2009 Gold Medal Ceremony will be held in Washington, DC on June 25, 2009. There will be two ceremonies with a recognition dinner to follow that evening.

6/19/2009 - Chaperones check in for training for the Week-Long program

6/20/2009 - Check in for the Gold 2009 Week-Long participants

6/25/2009 - 2009 Gold Medal Ceremony

AM Ceremony - 10:00 AM
Recognizing medalists from AZ, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KY, MA, MS, NC, NE, OR, SC, TX, VA, VT, WA, WI & WY in the Cannon Caucus Room.

Pictures - 12:00 NOON
Pictures will be taken on the steps by the Capitol Reflecting Pool.

PM Ceremony - 2:30 PM
Recognizing medalists from CA, CT, ID, KS, MD, MI, MO, NJ, NY, OH, PA, & UT in the Cannon Caucus Room.

Recognition Dinner - 7:00 PM
Registration will be open from 6:00 PM to 6:45 PM at the Ronald Reagan Building.

6/26/2009 - Check out for the Gold 2009 Week-Long participants

6/26/2009 - 2nd Annual Alumni Brunch in the new Congressional Visitors Center (Not included in the Week-Long program)

***Week-Long Participants attending the Alumni Brunch must provide their own transporation to the event.***

2009 Gold Medal Events

“The Congressional Award will grow you as a person and shape you into becoming who you want to be,” said author Peter J. Barr.  “It is an incentive to not only help others, but to improve yourself in so many ways.  It will expand your horizons.  I credit the Award for exposing me to new fields and opportunities that I would not have tried without it.”

Peter J. Barr, Congressional Award Gold Medalist and author of Hiking North Carolina’s Lookout Towers, found his life’s passion while pursuing his Congressional Award.  As a freshman at the University of North Carolina, Barr had his sights set on a career in the medical field.  But one four-night hiking trip in the Appalachians exposed him to both the beauty and challenges in the outdoors. “Simply put, the Congressional Award had a very dramatic impact on my life,” said Barr.  “The Award allowed me to realize my love for the outdoors and my passion for sharing it with others and preserving and protecting it.” Today, Barr spends his weekends hiking and backpacking, with plans of hiking the 2,175 mile Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine in 2010. 

To learn more about Barr’s book, visit www.nclookouts.com. 

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (MA01) moved to North Haven, Maine as a teenager and after completing school, quickly found that there was much to do on this small island. Before becoming the first woman to elected to Maine’s 1st Congressional District, Congresswoman Pingree was a farmer and small business owner. In fact, it was only when no one else on the island wanted to serve as the tax assessor that the Congresswoman became involved in politics. She also served as the chair of the local school board, allowing her valuable insight into how to positively effect change. As the Congresswoman recalls, “becoming involved in my community was an eye opening experience, and I learned a lot about the challenges and rewards of becoming involved in local politics”. Her experience with youth and with her own children has motivated her to become a strong supporter of the Congressional Award. “The Congressional Award is an incredibly important program,” said Pingree, “because it encourages young people to become involved in their communities at an early age, and teaches them to set and meet goals for personal and community development.” “I believe firmly believe that you are never too young to get involved in your community and in politics.” Perhaps this is most evident in the Congresswoman’s own family, in which her daughter Hannah has become the youngest state legislature Speaker of the House in the entire country.

The 15th Annual Congressional Award Golf Classic will be held on July 27, 2009 at the Army Navy Country Club in Arlington, VA. Breakfast is at 7:00 am, with a shotgun start at 8:00 am. We are looking at expanding our tournament and bringing many new ideas along with it to make the tournament a bigger success.

Pictured from left to right at the 2008 Golf Classic: Chairman Emeritus John M. Falk, ESQ., Board Member Jon Wood, Treasurer Dan Scherder, Board Member Glenn T. Reynolds, Golf Co-Chairmen David Falk & DC Council Member At-Large Kwame Brown, National Chairmen Paxton K. Baker, Senator Michael Enzi (WY), Rep. Tom Latham (IA04) and Rep. Todd Tiahrt (KS04).

To request sponsorship information for this year's tournament, please contact deschler@congressionalaward.org.