[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 63 (Wednesday, April 18, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Page S2259]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  TRIBUTE TO GERARD ``JERRY'' LACHANCE

 Ms. HASSAN. Mr. President, this month, I am proud to recognize 
Gerard ``Jerry'' Lachance of Sandown, NH, as our Granite Stater of the 
Month in honor of his incredible dedication to supporting our veterans.
  At 70 years old, Jerry is currently on a more than 2,000-mile journey 
by bike from Florida to the northernmost tip of New Hampshire to raise 
funds for Project Hero, a nonprofit that builds adaptive bikes and 
helps support veterans and first responders impacted by injury and 
posttraumatic stress disorder.
  Jerry, an avid cyclist for 12 years, a volunteer firefighter of more 
than 20 years for the Sandown Fire Rescue, and a Vietnam veteran, 
wanted to find a way to give back and support the brave servicemembers 
he considers to be his heroes. During one of Project Hero's honor 
rides, Jerry met a veteran who lost his leg during his service. The 
veteran was using an adaptive bike that he received from Project Hero, 
which inspired Jerry to do more to help the organization.
  In 2016, Jerry biked from the New Hampshire-Canadian border to Key 
West, FL, with the goal of raising $5,000, but his community was so 
inspired by Jerry's ride that he ended up raising $25,000 for Project 
Hero.
  This year, over the course of his 40-day ride, Jerry hopes to raise 
another $25,000 to support our veterans.
  We owe our brave veterans and servicemembers a debt of gratitude that 
we can never truly repay, but we must try. Efforts like Jerry's are an 
example for all of us of the dedication and support we can give to 
those who have sacrificed bravely for our country.
  Jerry Lachance has proven to be a shining example of how we can 
support our veterans, and he embodies the values and all-hands-on-deck 
spirit of the Granite State. I thank Jerry for both his own military 
service and his commitment to our veterans, and I am honored to 
recognize him as our Granite Stater of the Month.

                          ____________________