Posted on 01/20/2005 1:33:37 AM PST by AmericanMade1776
Springdale High School junior who speaks out on behalf of veterans is to receive an award today at a presidential inaugural ball. Nikki Mendicino, 16, will receive the Falcon of the Year award from Free Republic, which operates a Web site for "grass roots conservatism." The award goes to a high school student.
Mendicino became interested in helping veterans about six years ago after World War II veteran John Kridlo visited her school. She began visiting him and started a Web page dedicated to veterans.
Since then, she has given hundreds of speeches throughout the country and has been involved in several causes, including a campaign to find out what happened to Gulf War pilot and Navy Capt. Scott Speicher with the hope of bringing him home alive. He was shot down over Iraq in January 1991, and in October 2002, the government changed his status from missing in action to missing captured. He still has not been located.
Mendicino will attend an inaugural ball at the Washington Plaza Hotel. The Washington Chapter of Free Republic is paying for the trip.
"I was never even expecting it," she said. "They called me a week ago to say I won the award."
Mendicino and her mother, Michele, were able to obtain tickets to the presidential inauguration.
"I'm just really excited to see the process and the inauguration," Mendicino said.
(Excerpt) Read more at pittsburghlive.com ...
http://www.nikkiusa.com/
Congratulations Nikki!
Labor Day Weekend 1999
Ditto on the congrats, Nikki! Way to go!
God Bless you.
Woo Hoo!
Congrats and ping, Nikki!!
Congradulations, Nikki!!!!!!!
BTT ......you go girl!
Well deserved honor. God Bless you Nikki.
Good work!
Congratulations Nikki; thanks for the link.
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