[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 206 (Thursday, December 19, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1619-E1620]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     COMMENDING KURT ERICKSON FOR HIS 20 YEARS OF SERVICE WITH WRAP

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. GERALD E. CONNOLLY

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, December 19, 2019

  Mr. CONNOLLY. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize my friend, Kurt 
Erickson, and to commend him for his 20 years of service with the 
Washington Regional Alcohol Project (WRAP) and his dedication to the 
elimination of impaired driving and underage drinking in the Washington 
metropolitan area.
   WRAP is a public-private partnership that works with law 
enforcement, community stakeholders, and advocacy groups in Northern 
Virginia, Washington, DC, and Maryland. Kurt serves as President and 
CEO of WRAP and it is not an exaggeration to say that he is the driving 
force of the program. For two decades,

[[Page E1620]]

he has spearheaded public and government relations efforts in the DMV 
area. Kurt has been named Legislative Chairman of the Maryland Impaired 
Driving Coalition, an appointee by the Governor to the Virginia's Task 
Force to Combat the Influence of Drugs and Alcohol and has served on 
multiple boards and associations.
   Among his many duties, Kurt oversees the SoberRide Program which 
provides free and discounted rides home during the holidays. This 
program is considered one of the most successful programs of its kind 
in the nation. Kurt has Chaired the Checkpoint Strikeforce for the last 
18 years, working with local and state law enforcement to get impaired 
drivers off the roads. WRAP also has aggressive outreach programs for 
adults as well as youth and provides multi-media presentations and 
school resource guides.
   In recognition of his years of service and dedication, Kurt has 
received numerous awards including the 2014 Kevin Quinlan Award, the 
2008 Metropolitan Police Department's Chief of Police Special Award, 
the MADD-Chesapeake Region Community Champion Award, and the National 
Highway Safety Administration's Public Service Award. Under his 
leadership, WRAP has also earned multiple honors including the 2019 
Peter O'Rourke Special Achievement Award from the Governors Highway 
Safety Association and the Virginia Governor's Transportation Safety 
Award.
   While Kurt has been publicly lauded by local, state, and national 
organizations and received many awards, I believe that his most 
precious possession is the knowledge of the countless people who have 
been kept safe and the tragedies that have been prevented through his 
efforts. Since its inception in 1991, nearly 79,000 safe rides home 
have been provided by SoberRide, the vast majority occurring during 
Kurt's tenure. It is not possible to know how many possible injuries or 
deaths have been prevented, but these unknown potential victims all owe 
a deep debt of gratitude to Kurt and WRAP.
   Madam Speaker, for two decades Kurt Erickson has played an integral 
role in the effort to eliminate impaired driving and underage drinking. 
I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Kurt on his 20th 
Anniversary with WRAP and in thanking him for his tireless advocacy and 
unending efforts to keep our roads and our residents safe.

                          ____________________