[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 24 (Wednesday, March 1, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E243]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        CONGRATULATIONS TO RICHARD M. DeVOS ON HIS 80TH BIRTHDAY

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                         HON. VERNON J. EHLERS

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, March 1, 2006

  Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to offer my congratulations to 
a native son and community pillar of my hometown, Grand Rapids, MI, Mr. 
Richard M. DeVos, on the occasion of his 80th birthday on March 4.
  Rich has played a leading role in making Grand Rapids a wonderful and 
vibrant place to live. Rather than keeping the fortune that he and his 
business partner and lifelong friend, the late Jay VanAndel, built 
after creating and growing their business, Amway Corporation, Rich and 
Jay and their families found countless ways to reinvest the fruits of 
their success back into their community. Just a few of the notable 
examples are the development of the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel, which was 
the linchpin in the redevelopment of downtown Grand Rapids in the early 
1980s, and a donation which led to the construction of DeVos 
Performance Hall, a world-class performing arts center which is the 
home of the Grand Rapids Symphony, Opera Grand Rapids and Broadway-
class plays and musicals. The hall also is part of the larger DeVos 
Place Convention Center.
  That Rich DeVos is still with us today is nothing short of a miracle. 
In 1997, he survived a unique heart transplant surgery in which he 
received the heart of a lung transplant patient, who in turn received a 
combination heart-lung transplant from the victim of an auto accident. 
As a result of his experience, Rich now serves as chairman of the 
speakers' bureau for the United Network for Organ Sharing and has even 
testified before Congress urging support to make organ donation easier. 
He and his wife, Helen, also provided funding for the DeVos Children's 
Hospital, the Cook-DeVos Center for Health Sciences, the DeVos 
Communications Center at Calvin College, the DeVos Center of Grand 
Valley State University and the Richard and Helen DeVos Fieldhouse at 
Hope College in Holland, MI.
  Today, Rich DeVos is the same vibrant person who was a cheerleader at 
Grand Rapids Christian High School and who inspired thousands of people 
to open their own businesses with the help of Amway. Rich has continued 
his inspirational ways as an author, including ``Hope from My Heart: 10 
Lessons for Life'' and ``Compassionate Capitalism.'' Rich is also the 
owner of the National Basketball Association's Orlando Magic. DeVos and 
VanAndel's business, now known as Alticor, continues to be a major 
employer in West Michigan and throughout the world, with the reins of 
the business handed over to their children.
  Throughout his life and career, Rich DeVos has been guided by his 
faith in God. This has manifested itself not only in his dedication to 
his church, but also in the way that he does business, how he works 
with and cares for his employees, and his involvement in his community. 
Rich truly is a person who understands the Gospel admonition, ``From 
everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required.'' (Luke 
12:48).
  It is my very special pleasure to wish Rich DeVos a very happy 80th 
birthday and I urge my colleagues to join me in doing so.

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