[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 157 (Wednesday, September 28, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E984]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  COMMENDING THE GARY FRONTIERS SERVICE CLUB AND HONOREES AT THE 1ST 
           ANNUAL DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. MEMORIAL BANQUET

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                          HON. FRANK J. MRVAN

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 28, 2022

  Mr. MRVAN. Madam Speaker, as we celebrate the life of Dr. Martin 
Luther King Jr. and reflect on his legacy, we are reminded of the 
challenges that democracy poses to us, and the delicate nature of our 
civil liberties and human rights. Dr. King's peaceful protests for 
change remind us that we must continually work to secure and protect 
our freedom. In his courage to act, his humble yet strong leadership, 
and his ability to achieve, Dr. King embodied all that is good and true 
in the battle for justice and liberty.
  The spirit of Dr. King lives on in the citizens of communities 
throughout our nation. It lives on in the people whose actions reflect 
the spirit of determination and perseverance that will help move our 
country into the future. I am honored to rise today to commend the 
individuals who will be recognized during the 1st Annual Dr. Martin 
Luther King Jr. Memorial Banquet on Sunday, October 2, 2022, at Chateau 
Banquets in Merrillville, Indiana.
  Attorney Clorius Lay is serving as Event Chair for this celebration, 
following a two-year hiatus from the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Annual 
Memorial Breakfast, for which Attorney Lay had served as Chairman for 
fifteen years. The Gary Frontiers Service Club officers and members, as 
well as many other community members and leaders, assisted with this 
remarkable tribute to Dr. King each year at the Genesis Convention 
Center in Gary, Indiana, and I am truly grateful that the event will 
endure.
  At this year's banquet, Pastor Reverend Charles L. Emery of Pilgrim 
Missionary Baptist Church, located in Gary, Indiana, will be honored 
with the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drum Major Award for his lifetime 
of service to the people of his church and to the community. The 
Honorable Jerome Prince, Mayor of Gary, will present Pastor Emery with 
a ``Key to the City'' and will declare October 9, 2022, as Charles L. 
Emery Day in the city of Gary. President William Godwin and Vice 
President Tai Adkins of the Gary Common Council will also induct Pastor 
Emery into the Gary City Council as an honorary member. In addition, 
the guest speaker for the celebration is Reverend Dr. A.R. Boyd, Pastor 
of LeClaire Missionary Baptist Church of Chicago, Illinois.
  Madam Speaker, I invite you and my other distinguished colleagues to 
join me in commending the honorees, as well as the Gary Frontiers 
Service Club officers: President Oliver Gilliam, Vice President Charles 
Jackson, Secretary Linnal Ford, Financial Secretary Melvin Ward, and 
Treasurer Floyd Donaldson, and all members of the service club for 
their initiative, determination, and dedication to serving the people 
of Northwest Indiana.

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