[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 4]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 5961]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




          RECOGNIZING THE PENSACOLA BLUE WAHOOS BASEBALL TEAM

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. MATT GAETZ

                               of florida

                  in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 25, 2017

  Mr. GAETZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the Pensacola Blue Wahoos 
Baseball Team, in Northwest Florida. In 2016, the Southern League of 
Professional Baseball Clubs announced the Wahoos as the winners of the 
``Community Service Award''.
  In addition, the Director of Sports Turf Management for the Blue 
Wahoos, Ray Sayre, was named the ``Groundskeeper of the Year'' for the 
fourth consecutive season.
  The team members have demonstrated a profound dedication to their 
community by participating in activities that directly benefit and 
uplift the Pensacola area.
  The Wahoos' outreach has helped such organizations as the Epilepsy 
Foundation of Northwest Florida, Autism Pensacola, the United Way, the 
National Alliance of Mental Illness, and many more.
  Working with the Studer Community Institute, through such programs as 
``Kazoo's Grand Slam Reading Program'', the team has highlighted the 
priority of Early Childhood Education; this program reached over 9,000 
students and parents in 2016.
  The Blue Wahoos have a long history of taking an active role in their 
community. In 2012, their unwavering support and involvement resulted 
in them being named the ``Southern League Organization of the Year'', 
``Ballpark Digest's Organization of the Year'', and ``Ballpark of the 
Year'' by Baseballparks.com.
  The tradition of excellence has continued since 2013, when the team 
was named ``Stadium Journey's Best Minor League Ballpark Experience''; 
and again, awarded the ``Southern League Community Service Award''. 
Since then, the Blue Wahoos have won many awards from a multitude of 
organizations because of their selfless contributions to the Pensacola 
area.
  I would like to personally thank all of the past and present members 
of the Blue Wahoos, as well as all of the employees who participate and 
provide support for the team and community events. I would also like to 
thank Quint Studer and his team for providing the leadership that 
supports this remarkable cooperative contribution.
  On behalf of the United States Congress, I am honored to recognize 
the Pensacola Blue Wahoos Baseball Team for their continuous devotion 
to enhancing their community and for their contribution to an 
immeasurable positive impact that has occurred because of each team 
member's exceptional character. It is with great pride that I recognize 
and thank them for all that they do.

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