[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 196 (Wednesday, November 29, 2023)]
[House]
[Pages H5941-H5942]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              HONORING CHILDREN'S HOME SOCIETY OF FLORIDA

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Florida (Mr. Bean) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BEAN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, when it comes to sports, many 
athletes will tell you that they play better when they play at home. It 
is referred to as the home-field advantage. Having that home advantage 
is just as important to kids as it is to athletes.
  Kids do better and are more likely to succeed and thrive with family 
at home. Every child deserves a safe and loving home where they are 
supported and encouraged. Sadly, not all do. That is where the 
Children's Home Society of Florida comes in.
  Today, I rise to honor the Children's Home Society of Florida, a 
champion in childcare that for 120 years has served as a place of 
refuge, providing abandoned and homeless children with safe homes and 
loving care.
  Since 1902, this society has exemplified what it means to truly look 
after a community. Starting with a team of just two and caring for 24 
children, the Children's Home Society of Florida now boasts over 1,000 
team members empowering more than 80,000 children and family members.
  Their services include mental health care, trauma-informed care, 
early childhood services, job training, and so much more. These 
wonderful people's work spans every aspect of the development of 
tomorrow's leaders, ensuring that Florida will still be the best State 
in the U.S. for decades to come.
  These accomplishments and more are why I am proud, by the power 
vested in me, to announce that November 17, 2023, is now recognized as 
Children's Home Society of Florida Day.
  Mr. Speaker, I am honored to ask you and my colleagues to join me in

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celebrating this significant milestone. I wish the Children's Home 
Society of Florida to continue to score touchdowns and home runs for 
kids in the years ahead because every child is worth fighting for.


                       Recognizing Mayor Ron Sapp

  Mr. BEAN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mayor Ron 
Sapp for his decades of dedication and service to Fernandina Beach.
  During Mayor Sapp's 24 years of civic service as mayor, vice mayor, 
and commissioner--spanning four decades--he has displayed an unwavering 
commitment to bettering our hometown of Fernandina Beach, Florida. 
I was proud to serve alongside him and the commission, as did my 
father.

  Fernandina is proud of Ron Sapp not only because of his dedication to 
his community but also for his military service as an Air Force 
veteran. However, no true biography of Ron would be complete without a 
chapter on Mr. Sapp, the teacher.
  Mr. Sapp didn't just teach students what to think. He taught them how 
to think, and that is something special. Generations of Pirates 
developed an interest in and love for public service, and for that 
inspiration, we are grateful.
  Mayor Sapp sought to preserve the spirit of Fernandina Beach as a 
small island town. It is a better place because of his accomplishments. 
Ron has done all these things with his wife, Kasey, by his side, the 
support of his daughters, Sherri and Lori, and the love of his 
grandchildren.
  On November 14, one of Mayor Sapp's greatest achievements is being 
named after him, the Ron Sapp Egans Creek Greenway. Mayor Sapp's 
introduction of the open space bond issue secured the funding for this 
greenway, which will leave this land untouched by development to be 
enjoyed by all for generations to come.
  I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Mayor Ron Sapp for his 
significant role in shaping Fernandina Beach into the beautiful town it 
is today.

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