[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 75 (Tuesday, May 7, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E551-E552]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 RECOGNIZING THE EIGHTH ANNUAL COCOA BEACH ``FOOTPRINTS IN THE SAND'' 
     KIDNEY WALK AND THOSE WHO HAVE GIVEN THE PRECIOUS GIFT OF LIFE

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BILL POSEY

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                          Tuesday, May 7, 2019

  Mr. POSEY. Madam Speaker, on Saturday, May 11, 2019, thousands of 
residents from across Central Florida will gather at the Cocoa Beach 
Pier in Cocoa Beach, Florida, to take part in the Eighth Annual 
``Footprints in the Sand'' Cocoa Beach Kidney Walk. Katie and I have 
joined others in our community in participating every year since the 
first walk was organized in 2012 by Rich Salick, Bill Hahn and 
volunteers with the Florida Affiliate of the National Kidney 
Foundation.
  The ``Footprints in the Sand'' Kidney Walk brings our community 
together to show our love and concern. So many of us have family, 
friends and loved ones that are afflicted by kidney disease and they 
need our strength and support. The road ahead is not easy for them, but 
as the kidney walk demonstrates, they do not have to travel that path 
alone.
  The National Kidney Foundation of Florida, its supporters and 
activists have made a significant difference in people's lives. They 
not only raise awareness about this disease but they have helped push 
for much needed changes in our laws and new innovations to give 
patients more treatment options and a better quality of life.
  This year organizers of the kidney walk will recognize organ donors 
and their families for giving the precious gift of life so that others 
could receive a second chance and continue with their lives.
  Those recognized include:
  Ellen Tuech on behalf of Geoffrey Wasden, Donna Oakley on behalf of 
James ``Jimmy'' Gregory Fisher, Dawn Futch on behalf of Michael-Gene 
Futch, Diana Couch on behalf of Linda Couch, Billie Lomonaco on behalf 
of Tiffany Accardi, Jasmine Persaud on behalf of Anand Persaud, Sherri 
Wilson on behalf of William Garrett Coe, Pat Brown on behalf of Michael 
Brown, Laila Merolle on behalf of Mario Merolle, Maria Isabel Almonte 
on behalf of Xavier Emilio Lara Almonte, Josefina Merizalde on behalf 
of Emily Baquerizo, Laura Dawkins on behalf of Brooke Dawkins, Mary 
Carpenter on behalf of Shawn Carpenter, Patricia Rivera on behalf of 
Sebastian Rivera, Donna Kinney on behalf of Matthew David Hartmann, 
Shebna Dorsey on behalf of Andrew Dorsey, Deborah Harder Thorpe on 
behalf of Jessica Harder, Vivian Pogeler on behalf of Scott Pogeler, 
and Susan Hahn and Teresa Jamison-Hahn on behalf of Bill Hahn.
  I ask my colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives to join me 
in recognizing the strong will of these caring families, their loved 
ones and all those who have joined the effort and worked tirelessly to 
raise awareness about kidney disease.

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