To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 500 North Brevard Avenue in Cocoa Beach, Florida, as the "Richard K. Salick Post Office".

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I am grateful for coming in contact with a lot of people during my lifetime, and Richard Salick is certainly one of them. In fact, I think so much of Rich and his selfless giving to others, I introduced this legislation, H.R. 451, to designate the U.S. Post Office on North Brevard Avenue in Cocoa Beach as the Richard K. Salick Post Office.

Rich Salick, who passed away on July 2 of 2012, was a local hero and a true champion to many people. Rich was a champion surfer through much of the late 1960s and 1970s, but he was also a lifelong sufferer of kidney disease and a longtime advocate of supporting kidney transplantation and kidney disease patients.

What made Rich a champion was not the number of trophies that he won--which was considerable--but the battles he willingly and personally waged on behalf of others in need.

At age 23, at the high point of his professional surfing career, Rich fell ill and was told by doctors that he would die if he did not get a kidney transplant. Aided by his twin brother, Phil Salick--who was his first kidney donor--Rich recovered, but was told all physical sports were out of the question in his future.

After a year of recovery, Rich developed a unique padding system to protect his transplanted kidney and went on to win surfing contests and even proudly displayed one of the trophies in the Shands teaching hospital in Gainesville, Florida. Rich would routinely call kidney patients to offer them a message of hope and to aid their recoveries.

His work did not stop there. Rich and Phil began hosting small surfing events to benefit those on dialysis. Every year, these events grew larger and larger and larger and culminated into hugely successful annual surf festivities.

These events have raised millions of dollars for the National Kidney Foundation and are some of the largest charitable surfing events in the world.

When I was serving in the State legislature, it was not uncommon to meet Rich Salick walking the halls of the capitol advocating for kidney patients, trying to find some commonsense fixes to some of these flawed laws to help make lives better for other people.

The National Kidney Foundation tells us that 90,000 Americans with kidney disease die each year, and approximately 100,000 Americans are waiting for a direly-needed kidney transplant.

Every year, I join hundreds of others in our community to participate in the annual Cocoa Beach Kidney Walk, known as Footprints in the Sand, to support those who suffer from kidney disease and to honor Rich's commitment.

Despite suffering from kidney disease for most of his adult life, Rich proved that others with the same condition can truly accomplish anything they set their minds to.

He was the first professional athlete ever to receive a transplant and return to his sport at a professional level. In 2000, he was inducted into the Surfing Hall of Fame, and in April of 2008, he was also inducted into the Martial Arts Hall of Fame, a man of many talents.

He received the prestigious Nancy Katin Award in 1977 for his worldwide humanitarian work.

I would like to thank Chairman Issa, Ranking Member Cummings, and the members and staff of the committee for moving this bill to the floor to honor a great American and a true champion.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 451) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 500 North Brevard Avenue in Cocoa Beach, Florida, as the ``Richard K. Salick Post Office''.

I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 451, introduced by my colleague, Representative Bill Posey of Florida, would designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 500 North Brevard Avenue in Cocoa Beach, Florida, as the Richard K. Salick Post Office.

Richard Salick was a devoted and charitable member of his community in Cocoa Beach, Florida. Salick was an

internationally-renowned surfer who competed on both the U.S. and world surfing teams in the 1960s and 1970s.

Tragically, Salick was diagnosed with kidney disease in 1973, but he persevered and was able to touch the lives of everyone who had the pleasure of meeting him. He became a tireless advocate with the National Kidney Foundation, to assist their efforts to support patients and to raise money for their care.

Salick founded the National Kidney Foundation Surf Festival in 1986, which donates its proceeds to the National Kidney Foundation.

Mr. Salick passed away at the age of 62 in 2012.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to my distinguished colleague from the State of Florida (Mr. Posey).

Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to join me in support of this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join my colleagues in the consideration of H.R. 451, a bill to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 500 North Brevard Avenue in Cocoa Beach, Florida, as the Richard K. Salick Post Office.

Richard Salick was born in Wisconsin in 1949 and competed for national and world surfing teams in the 1960s and 1970s.

At the age of 23, Richard was diagnosed with kidney failure. After undergoing his first kidney transplant, Richard was told that his surfing career was over.

Less than a year after surgery, however, Richard developed an innovative paddling technique that allowed him to return to his passion of professional surfing. In 2000, Richard was inducted into the Surfing Hall of Fame as an East Coast Legend.

Richard began dedicating his life to helping others suffering from kidney disease. In 1976, just 2 years after his initial kidney transplant, Richard and his brother helped organize a surfing competition in Cocoa Beach, Florida, to benefit local dialysis centers.

That event has now become the largest charitable surfing festival in the world, raising millions of dollars to support educational, patient services, and organ donation programs.

Mr. Speaker, we should pass this bill to recognize Richard Salick's extraordinary strength in the face of chronic illness, his perseverance to excel at the highest level in his sport, and his tireless dedication to improving the lives of others fighting kidney disease.

I urge all of my colleagues to vote in favor of this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of the following measures, which are post office-naming bills, en bloc: Calendar No. 585, H.R. 43; Calendar No. 586, H.R. 451; Calendar No. 587, H.R. 1391; Calendar No. 589, H.R. 3085; Calendar No. 590, H.R. 3957; Calendar No. 591, H.R. 4189; Calendar No. 592, H.R. 4443; Calendar No. 593, H.R. 4919; Calendar No. 595, H.R. 5106; and Calendar No. 584, S. 2523.

I ask unanimous consent that the bills be read a third time and passed, en bloc, and the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table, en bloc, with no intervening action or debate.