Former White House press secretary and congressional flack Ari Fleischer flew down to Washington on Wednesday as a favor to his old friend Susie Kay, founder of the Hoop Dreams Scholarship Fund.
“For 12 years, I’ve tried to tell people we are a bipartisan organization,” said Kay at the organization’s 10th annual Congressional Reception in the Mansfield Room of the Capitol. “We would not be here today if it weren’t for Ari Fleischer.”
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So she proceeded to tell the story about how he got involved (Kay said she had never told the story in public). In 1996, Kay was a teacher at H.D. Woodson High School, and one of her students wrote a paper on Fleischer, who was then working for the House Ways and Means Committee. Fleischer volunteered to come in to speak to the class, and “kept coming back,” Kay said.
Ultimately, she said, “Ari stroked a check for $1,000 and said, ‘Give this to one of your students who doesn’t have the resources to buy books when they go to college.’ ”
That check inspired Kay to form Hoop Dreams, which helps local kids get into and attend college.
Fleischer, who no longer sports his glasses (but still wears his flag lapel pin, thank you very much) said, “Susie taught me there are two Washingtons. She taught me about life on the other side of the river.”
Among those also appearing at the event: D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, D.C. shadow senator Paul Strauss, American University President Neil Kerwin and Sens. John Thune, R-S.D., and Elizabeth Dole, R-N.C.
