[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 9]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 12076]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            ALLEN J. KAYNER: SETTING THE PACE FOR BAY COUNTY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JAMES A. BARCIA

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 27, 2002

  Mr. BARCIA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask my colleagues to join me 
in honoring the life and mourning the death of Allen J. Kayner, a 
teacher and coach for untold high school athletes and students in the 
Bay City Public Schools in my hometown of Bay City, Michigan. Coach 
Kayner was a legend in the local running community, having founded both 
the Bay Area Runners Club and the St. Patrick's Day Road Race. He also 
taught history and geography at my alma mater, Bay City Central High 
School, and I considered him a friend and mentor.
  Throughout his 30-year tenure with the Bay City Public Schools, Al 
Kayner was a devoted and intelligent teacher who gave the full measure 
of his talents to help students in and out of the classroom. His 
enthusiasm, patience and attention to detail were tremendous assets in 
teaching geography and history and they were also his greatest gifts as 
a coach.
  In the early 1970s, Al founded the Bay Area Runners Club, serving as 
the club's first president and then again he offered his services as 
its president in the early 1990s. Before that, Al coached track and 
cross country at both Bay City Western and Bay City Central high 
schools. He also coached long-distance running at Essexville Garber 
High School for a short time.
  Al will perhaps be best remembered as the man behind the St. 
Patrick's Day Road Race, which he organized and led from the start. On 
March 17, 1974, Al ran the first race with 65 other runners who began 
at Veterans Memorial Park and finished at Wenonah Park. The race now 
begins in Essexville and finishes in downtown Bay City, but otherwise 
it's the same footrace that Al envisioned 28 years ago and it is still 
going strong.
  When Al died last year of cancer, the loss was certainly felt most by 
his wife, Judy, their three children, Karen, Kristine and Steven, and 
the rest of his loving family. However, his passing was most assuredly 
also felt by the entire community. Al left his mark on all those he 
met. It is especially fitting to honor him with fireworks on the Fourth 
of July because Al's life on this earth was certainly a star-spangled 
event never to be forgotten.
  Finally, Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in paying 
tribute to Al Kayner, a coach, teacher and friend to all. I am 
confident that Al is somewhere right now lacing up his running shoes 
and preparing for a heavenly marathon with the other angels. Godspeed, 
Al.

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