"McDermott reads a book with Wing Luke Elementary School students Alejandro Nuezca Jr. and Abdullahi Abdullahi in his Washington DC office. The students recently received a 'Save Our History' award."

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Jim McDermott Meets with Local Seattle Youth
to Salute Receipt of "Save Our History" Award
For Immediate Release - May 26, 2005
Source: Wing Luke Elementary School, Seattle, WA

Washington - May 26, 2005 - Congressman Jim McDermott (D-7th) met with students and teachers from Wing Luke Elementary School, located in Seattle, WA, Tuesday, May 24, to applaud their exemplary dedication to historic preservation through The History Channel's Save Our History (SOH) initiative.

Wing Luke Elementary School was selected as a Classroom Finalist from almost 700 schools from across the country to apply for the award. Students Abdullahi Abdullahi and Alejandro Nuezca Jr. were awarded a two-day trip to Washington, D.C., to meet with Congressman McDermott, attend an award ceremony and visit some of Washington's most famous Smithsonian museums, such as the National History Museum and the Museum of Air and Space.

For their project, the third grade students of Wing Luke Elementary School worked with the Wing Luke Asian Museum on "Preserving the Kong Yick," investigating the history of the old Kong Yick building in Seattle's Chinatown district. The class conducted oral history interviews of former residents and business people. The students photographed the building and wrote about their experiences, eventually producing their own book with the help of a book artist, Coming Together: The Kong Yick. In addition, they took field trips to the building and engaged in research at three
local libraries.

"I am so proud of these students and their commitment to our state's history. They have gained an understanding and respect for the significant role history plays in this country," said Congressman McDermott. "Learning about the history of our nation is invaluable, but being proactive and taking part in the preservation and restoration of historical artifacts ensures that future generations will benefit from these treasures
as well."

SOH is a national program working with The White House's Preserve America campaign, designed to preserve and restore significant historic sites, neighborhoods and cultural artifacts around the nation through innovative and hands-on projects.

The History Channel created the Save Our History National Awards to honor local communities and classrooms that demonstrate outstanding commitment to history education and preservation of local history. Winning classrooms from 14 cities, including Seattle, sent representatives to the national event in Washington, D.C., May 22 through 24.

"Receiving the recognition of Congressman McDermott for the work done on the Save Our History projects will leave an indelible impression on these students of just how important local landmarks and artifacts are to this nation," said Dan Davids, president of The History Channel - USA.

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