For Immediate Release
Office of the First Lady
August 3, 2007

Mrs. Bush's Remarks to Red Cross Volunteers During a Visit to the I-35W Bridge Collapse Overlook
Emergency Operations Command Center
Minneapolis, Minnesota

Photos

11:07 A.M. CDT

MRS. BUSH: Well, this gives me an opportunity to thank you all for what you do all the time, for being trained volunteers for the Red Cross, and especially what you've done over the last couple of days in this tragedy here in Minnesota. I've met, as you might imagine, with Red Cross workers many a time since my husband has been President -- a lot on the Gulf Coast, in a lot of different towns across the Gulf Coast after the hurricanes.

And our country really, really depends on you. We depend on you to come in at all the toughest times in our country, from 9/11 -- when George has been President -- to the hurricane to this now. So I want to thank you all for that. Thank you for being prepared and ready to step in when the time comes.

I know that it's -- even though you're trained, it's hard. And it's hard for you, and I know it's hard for you psychologically, as well, to watch and to see the people who are grieving. And I know you grieve with them.

So I want to thank you very, very much for helping all the people here and for serving our country the way you do.

END 11:09 A.M. CDT