[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 17]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 23465-23466]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        HONORING ROBERT J. MANN

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. KAREN McCARTHY

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 8, 2004

  Ms. McCARTHY of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor our 
``Homegrown Hero,'' Robert J. Mann. As the founder and executive 
director of Bridging the Gap Inc., Bob is being honored by the 
organization on October 15, 2004, for his leadership and vision which 
transformed greater Kansas City into a collaborative and interconnected 
community of environmental awareness, advocacy and reformation.
  Thirteen years ago, Bob created Bridging the Gap, an environmental 
movement of volunteers who created and maintain our first 15 local 
community recycling centers. It has since grown into a regional, 
multifaceted environmental movement involving businesses, governments, 
schools and thousands of volunteers. Under Bob's leadership all 
segments of the greater Kansas City community have become 
interconnected and established partnerships working together to make a 
difference and improve Kansas City's quality of life, economic 
efficiency and environmental sustainability. During a decade of 
creating change for a healthier community, Bridging the Gap succeeded 
in educating the public through environmental publications and speakers 
bureaus, hosting special green events for environmental awareness and 
advocacy, and ballot initiatives that brought curbside recycling to 
Kansas City.
  I have been an ardent supporter of Earth Day since the first one in 
1970, when I showed my support by bicycling to my job as a 
schoolteacher and discussing with my students the responsibility each 
individual has to our global environment. Since 1997 my Earth Day 
celebration has come to include Bridging the Gap's Earth Day Walk, an 
eagerly anticipated annual celebration and fundraiser for more than 
1,000 Kansas Citians. More than 5,000 area residents attend the Party 
for the Planet at the Kansas City Zoo, another Earth Day event 
sponsored by Bridging the Gap.
  Bridging the Gap Inc. has grown dynamically and now includes: 
RecycleFirst, Kansas City's curbside recycling education program; Keep 
Kansas City beautiful, a beautification project involving more than 
7,700 volunteers for 165 metro wide cleanups; Kansas City Wildlands, a 
natural and wild places restoration and conservation project; 
Environmental Excellence Business Network, an education and mentoring 
program for businesses; Waste Reduction and Recycling Consultation, an 
advisory, assessment and action program for governments, businesses, 
educational and cultural institutions; Regional By-Product Synergy 
Initiative, a project to help business and government reduce waste and 
increase productivity; Shadowcliff Retreat Center, environmental 
education and retreat center in Grand Lake, Colorado; and Environmental 
Excellence Awards, an annual event to honor individuals, businesses and 
schools.
  Bob's efforts have been recognized locally and nationally for 
Building the Gap's leadership. Awards include: National Recycling 
Coalition's Award for Environmental and Community Leadership, Kansas 
City Consensus Achiever Award, Missouri Governor Carnahan's Pollution 
Prevention Award, EPA Pollution Prevention Award, American Forest & 
Paper Association's Best Paper Recycling Award, Mid-America Regional 
Council Regional Leadership Award, Waste Reduction and Recycling Award 
for non-profits, Missouri Environmental Education Association 
Environmental Education Service Award, and Keep America Beautiful First 
Place National Litter Prevention Award.
  Bob's leadership and vision of collaboration, his perseverance in 
environmental problem solving, and his service and commitment to a

[[Page 23466]]

healthy earth have inspired thousands of individuals to make a 
difference. Mr. Speaker, please join me in honoring Robert J. Mann, a 
bridge builder who has indeed made our community, our region and our 
planet a better place through his tireless efforts to honor our Earth 
and all who share its wonders.

                          ____________________