Community Corner

'Dream Big Dreams,' Obama Writes, as Rochester Hills Girl Meets Him Backstage

The president was last on Lilly Arbour's list of 115 elected officials she set out to meet.

A will have quite the what-I-did-this-summer story to tell when she starts back to school on Tuesday.

On Monday, Lilly Arbour completed a 17-month quest to meet all 115 of her elected officials when she spent a few minutes backstage with President Barack Obama, who visited Detroit for Labor Day.

He was last on her list.

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“Meeting President Obama was really cool and I’m glad to have had the opportunity to meet all 115 of my elected officials,” said Lilly in a news release produced by staff of Rep. Gary Peters (D-Bloomfield).

Peters helped arrange the meeting before Obama's speech. The president signed Lilly's list of all 115 elected officials, writing "Dream big dreams" on top.

Find out what's happening in Rochester-Rochester Hillswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

In a , Rochester Patch reported on Lilly's progress meeting all those who represent her — from members of the Rochester Board of Education to Rochester Hills Mayor Bryan Barnett to Vice President Joe Biden, whom she met during a visit to Washington D.C. for the State of the Union address in January.

That meeting with Biden left only one official on her list: Obama.

Her quest began in January of 2010, when Lilly made it her New Year's Resolution to meet all of her elected officials. She told Rochester Patch she wanted to be a Circuit Court judge when she grows up.

Lilly, 13, is the daughter of Pete and Alicia Arbour; she begins eighth grade at Reuther on Tuesday.

“Lilly is going to have a great story to tell her friends and family for years to come," said Peters. "I'm glad that I was able to play a part in helping her meet President Obama and complete her goal.

"Meeting all 115 of her elected officials was no easy task, and I want to congratulate Lilly Arbour for her dedication and perseverance."


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