[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 212 (Tuesday, December 16, 2025)]
[House]
[Page H5938]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     CHAMPION OF THE WEEK: AKRON PUBLIC SCHOOLS MASCOT PETER GEORGE

  (Mrs. SYKES asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Mrs. SYKES. Madam Speaker, today I rise to honor Peter George as 
Ohio's 13th Congressional District's Champion of the Week.
  For 25 years, Peter George, or as many know him as Gilby, has played 
the part of the Akron Public Schools' districtwide mascot. In a canine 
costume that was heavy and hot, Peter showed up lighthearted and 
energetic to meet the hugs, high-fives, and smiles of Akron children. 
As Gilby, Peter has danced at pep rallies, walked in parades, posed for 
photos, and comforted ill or disabled youth.
  What mattered most wasn't the costume. It was the care. Peter 
understood that for some kids, Gilby wasn't just a mascot, but rather a 
highlight of someone's day or the lightening of someone's load. From 
school hallways to hospital rooms, Peter met children where they were 
and made them feel seen.
  In fact, although he says he is retiring, he will never turn down an 
opportunity to put a smile on a child's face who happens to be in the 
hospital.
  Today I honor someone most of us have known not by his face, but by 
the joy he brought into our lives.
  Peter's work reminds us that joy is a form of service. I thank him 
for his 25 years of love, laughter, kindness, and APS school pride.

                          ____________________