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 A quick note to the doubting friends and family of Connie Bergmann: Yes, she really does get to meet the president.
The 59-year-old Bergmann on Wednesday will be one of a handful of metro-east residents scheduled to greet President Bush when Air Force One touches down on the secured tarmac at Scott Air Force Base.
“It’s pretty exciting,” said Bergmann, who was selected to meet Bush because of her volunteer work with the local Red Cross Disaster Action Team. “To me, this is a real treat. This has always been a dream of mine, to meet this president in particular.”
Red Cross Disaster Action Team volunteers are on duty 24 hours a day, ready to respond to any emergency or disaster. Recently, Bergmann has assisted metro-east residents displaced by fires. The Metro East Red Cross Service Center in Fairview Heights has 60 volunteers on its Disaster Action Team, including Bergmann.
“(Bergmann) is a wonderful and giving person who exemplifies the essence of humanitarianism in the way she helps families recover from disasters and emergencies,” said Sandy Vaughn, a manger at the Red Cross’ Fairview Heights office.
It was her dedication to the organization that led the Red Cross to recommend Bergmann meet Bush.
The process started Thursday with an unexpected phone call to Bergmann’s Fairview Heights home. A woman from the White House informed Bergmann of the president’s pending Collinsville visit and said she was one of three volunteers that may be asked to greet Bush upon his arrival.
“I didn’t believe it at first,” Bergmann said. “I thought she was playing a joke on me. Why they chose me I have no idea. She asked if I could be available on Wednesday. I said, ‘I think I can clear my schedule for the president.’”
A White House employee called back Sunday night to confirm Bergmann was chosen as the volunteer to greet Bush. A representative from the U.S. Secret Service called later to iron out the details of the day and where she should go, Bergmann said.
In the meantime, Bergmann has enjoyed letting her friends know of her pending visit with the president. “They don’t believe me,” she said. Well, except for a few friends who asked her to drop their own names or pass along a request to vacation at Bush’s Crawford, Texas ranch.
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