[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 95 (Thursday, June 1, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Page S1895]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             RECOGNIZING McKEE'S FEED, GARDEN & PET CENTERS

 Mr. RISCH. Mr. President, Idaho small businesses are the 
backbone of our economy and our communities. These small businesses not 
only employ friends and neighbors, but they showcase Idaho's creativity 
and values. Our small businesses provide invaluable goods and services 
and are an intrinsic part of the Gem State. These small businesses 
deserve to be celebrated for the integral role they play in our 
communities. I am proud to relaunch Support Local Gems, a statewide 
initiative, on June 9, to encourage Idahoans to support the small 
businesses that make the Gem State special. As a member and former 
chairman of the Senate Committee on Small Business and 
Entrepreneurship, I am pleased to honor McKee's Feed, Garden & Pet 
Centers as one of Idaho's Small Businesses of the Month for June 2023.
  Bill McKee opened McKee's Feed, Garden & Pet Center in 1976. At both 
the Pocatello and Chubbuck locations, McKee's staff is dedicated to 
assisting customers with their pet, livestock, and gardening needs. 
Well known throughout Bannock County, McKee's Petting Zoo has served 
the local community free of charge for years. Bill McKee started the 
petting zoo to offer children and families the opportunity to interact 
with and learn about animals without spending a lot of money. In 
addition to year-round learning opportunities, McKee's Petting Zoo 
provides homes for displaced animals.
  McKee's continuously supports local schools and Boy Scouts, Relay for 
Life, educational programs and field trips, and live nativities every 
winter. McKee's partners with the Humane Society and various rest homes 
and veterans' facilities to provide ``pet therapy'' to residents.
  Congratulations to the McKees and all of the employees at McKee's 
Feed, Garden & Pet Centers for being selected as an Idaho Small 
Business of the Month for June 2023. You are an outstanding example of 
what it means to be one of Idaho's Local Gems. You make the Gem State 
proud, and I look forward to your continued growth and success.

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