[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 76 (Thursday, April 30, 2026)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E395]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               CELEBRATING 100 YEARS OF BAKER YOUTH CLUB

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                          HON. RUDY YAKYM III

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 30, 2026

  Mr. YAKYM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Baker Youth Club of 
Warsaw, Indiana, on its 100th anniversary.
  Founded in 1926 by East Coast banker and Rotary Club member Bramwell 
Baker, the club began with a simple challenge: match a $1,000 donation 
and a Boys Club would be born. What started with comic books and a 
peach basket in the upstairs of a downtown Warsaw hardware store has 
grown into one of Kosciusko County's most vital institutions for young 
people.
  For a century, Baker Youth Club has been guided by just four 
directors, each of whom grew up in the very club they would one day 
lead. Current Executive Director Tracy Furnivall has served for 23 
years, growing the organization's budget from $90,000 to nearly 
$800,000. Today, the club serves up to 160 children each afternoon. 
with second- and third-generation families coming through its doors.
  Perhaps no story better captures Baker Youth Club's mission than that 
of Director Robert ``Coach'' Lichtenwalter, who joined the Boys Club at 
age 10 as an alternative to juvenile detention and went on to serve as 
a member, staff, and director for 77 years. That is not just 
dedication. That is transformation.
  Baker Youth Club's centennial is a testament to Warsaw and Kosciusko 
County, a community that has sustained this organization through the 
Great Depression, multiple wars, a recession, and a global pandemic, 
and has never stopped showing up for its kids.
  I congratulate Baker Youth Club on 100 years of service.

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