Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker Pro Tempore, I rise today in honor of the life of Danielle ``Dani'' Duggan.

Born on May 7, 1966, Dani was raised in Middleborough, Massachusetts, where she found a passion for the arts at a young age. After graduating as an honors student from Middleborough High School in 1984, Dani went on to study at St. Michael's College, where she received an honors Bachelor of Arts degree in fine arts and theatre and was the recipient of the Delta Epsilon Sigma Society Departmental Award for outstanding achievement in fine arts.

Dani then moved to Dublin, Ireland to work for the famous Abbey Theatre. This is where she also met her husband, Gerry Clements. She lived in Ireland for eight years receiving an honors master's degree in modern drama from University College Dublin and would later form the Salem Willows Theatre Company.

Dani returned to the U.S. with her husband, Gerry, moving to Pembroke, Massachusetts, and over the next 24 years, she taught drama at Middleborough High School. During her time at MHS, she became chair of the fine arts department and played a pivotal role in the design and construction of the new Middleborough High School Performing Arts Center and Blackbox Theatre. At MHS, Dani directed numerous school productions and the speech & theater workshop, as well as several productions with the Plymouth Community Theatre.

Sadly, Dani left us too soon on October 15, 2022, after a two year battle with cancer. Whether during her time at Middleborough High School or her work with the Abbey Theatre, Dani's passion for sharing her love for the arts serves as an example to all. Throughout her years at Middleborough High School, Dani laid the groundwork for the school district to hold an annual event celebrating students' work in the fine arts. On May 20, 2023, Middleborough held its inaugural Dani Duggan Fine Arts Festival to honor Dani's legacy.

Mr. Speaker Pro Tempore, I am proud to honor the life of Dani Duggan. I ask that my colleagues join me in recognizing her life's commitment to serving her community through the arts.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the posthumous induction of Jack White to the Rhode Island Television & Radio Hall of Fame.

Residents of Rhode Island and Massachusetts came to rely on Jack's reporting in the Newport Daily News, the Providence Journal, WBZ TV in Boston, the Cape Cod Times, and finally during his time as Chief Investigative Reporter at WPRI TV in Providence.

A native of Pawtucket, Jack was a hard-hitting investigative journalist who never wavered on his principles. During the Watergate scandal, it was Jack's story in the Providence Journal that brought President Nixon's underpayment of federal income tax into national focus and caused the President to respond to a question from Jack's editor with the now infamous five-word phrase: ''I am not a crook.'' That reporting won Jack White a Pulitzer Prize in 1974, cost President Nixon hundreds of thousands of dollars in back taxes, and spurred the practice of Presidents releasing their income tax returns for public inspection. True to his convictions as a journalist, Jack never divulged his source for the Nixon story and even delayed the story by twelve days to stand with striking reporters at the Providence Journal.

After leaving Providence for WBZ in Boston, it was a reporting job at the Cape Cod Times that brought the White family to West Barnstable, and Jack's commitment to his family that kept them on Cape Cod as he commuted back and forth to Providence during his decades at WPRI. His work at WPRI was marked by numerous major investigative stories, multiple Emmy Awards, and earned him the honorary title of ``Dean of Rhode Island Journalism.''

Sadly, Jack left us suddenly on October 12. 2005, at age 63, leaving behind his wife Beth, daughter Elizabeth, sons John, Patrick, and Timothy, and their families. Jack's son, Tim, followed his father into journalism and can be seen on televisions across Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts each week hosting the same ``Newsmakers'' program that Jack hosted during his time at WPRI.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to join the Rhode Island Television & Radio Hall of Fame in celebrating the journalistic accomplishments of Jack White, and I ask that my colleagues join me in recognizing Jack's posthumous induction into the Rhode Island Television & Radio Hall of Fame and the impact that his reporting has had on Southern New England and our nation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Pilgrim Hall Museum's 200th anniversary.

Two centuries after the Pilgrims landed, the General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts chartered the Pilgrim Society in 1820 to preserve the history of early Plymouth. It was decided that a museum should be constructed to tell the Pilgrim's story. Tasked with the responsibility of constructing the museum, builders Job and Abner Taylor laid the cornerstone on September 1, 1824, and on December 17, members of the Pilgrim Society met for the first time inside the Pilgrim Hall Museum.

Pilgrim Hall Museum is the oldest continuously operating public museum in the U.S. and is home to a collection of 17th century artifacts, including several pieces that were originally on the Mayflower. Over the last two centuries, the museum has continued to collect artifacts, books, and documents to tell the stories of the Wampanoag--who were in Southeastern Massachusetts thousands of years before early settlers arrived--and the Pilgrims. Artifacts include the Bible of William Bradford; William Brewster's great chair; the only portrait painted from life of Edward Winslow; the cradle that Susanna White rocked her son, Peregrine, in; and the earliest sampler embroidered in America by Loara Standish.

Of the 33,000 museums in the U.S., Pilgrim Hall Museum is one of less than 1,100 museums accredited by the American Association of Museums. This is a notable achievement that signifies a museum's credibility and quality and further ensures the integrity of a museum's collection.

In addition to serving as a museum, Pilgrim Hall also hosts lectures and small concerts, as well as the Annual Pilgrim Society Meeting, which is held on Forefathers' Day in the Main Hall. Today, Pilgrim Hall Museum continues to tell the story of the Pilgrims and the

Wampanoag in a manner that is both accurate and inclusive, while highlighting and recognizing narratives that have traditionally been silenced.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to honor Pilgrim Hall Museum, and I ask that my colleagues join me in celebrating this monumental occasion of the museum's 200th anniversary and wishing Pilgrim Hall Museum continued success in the years to come.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the life of Michael C. Hayes.

Born on August 23, 1950, Michael was raised in Scituate, Massachusetts by his parents, Miriam and Robert Hayes. He attended Thayer Academy in Braintree and graduated from Boston College and Suffolk Law School. Infected with polio in 1955, Michael lived the remainder of his life in leg braces, serving as an inspiration to all and guiding his lifelong commitment to working for tolerance and acceptance of all people.

After graduating from law school in 1975, Michael, a third-generation lawyer, practiced law alongside his brother, Joe, and his cousin, John, and later went on to serve as an Assistant District Attorney for Plymouth County. After a short time in California, Michael returned to his hometown to practice law on Front Street in Scituate Harbor. Throughout his legal career, he always sought to help those in need. Not only did Michael establish himself as a pillar of the community through his work as an attorney, but he was also a devoted public servant.

First elected to the Scituate School Committee in 1988 in the wake of Proposition 2\1/2\ budget cuts, Michael proudly served Scituate's students until choosing not to run for re-election in 1994. He was recognized by the Scituate Town Meeting in 1995 for his ``his untiring and diligent efforts to secure the funding necessary to support and maintain excellence in public education despite pressing economic constraints.'' Michael returned to the school committee in 1998 and oversaw the construction of the new Jenkins School and an extensive renovation of Scituate High School and championed the funding for programs dear to him, including the arts and the METCO program. In 2014, Michael chose not to seek re-election and took a step back to concentrate on his health. Ever committed to Scituate's schools, Michael returned once more, beginning his third tenure on the School Committee in 2016, which saw the opening of the new Gates School in 2017. Michael won his tenth and final term on the School Committee in 2019.

Sadly, Michael left us too soon on August 21, 2023, leaving behind his children Patrick, Lucy, and Fred, and his five granddaughters, Chelsea, Lena, June, Iris, and Willow. Michael was predeceased by his daughter Heidi Rose.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to honor the life of Michael Hayes, and I ask that my colleagues

join me in recognizing his life's commitment to serving his town and community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Mary LeClair and the groundbreaking of LeClair Village.

Born in Ogdensburg, New York LeClair first came to Cape Cod in the late 1950s, after her husband was stationed at Otis Air Force Base. Soon after moving to the Cape, she began working at the Barnstable County National Bank as a teller in the Hyannis office. In 1966, LeClair moved over to the newly opened New Seabury branch, and a few years later, she was named 1 of the bank's first female branch managers.

Using her experience in the banking industry, LeClair was named Barnstable County Treasurer in 1978. She served in this for 18 years, before being elected as a county commissioner in 1996. LeClair was elected for 3 4-year terms, stepping down from the role in 2008. She additionally served as an aide to former Congressman Bill Delahunt for 2 years and worked in the Cape Cod Housing Assistance Corporation's resource development department for 5 years.

Throughout her career, LeClair has always been deeply involved in the Cape Cod community. She has served on the board of Gosnold Inc. for nearly 3 decades and has worked closely with the women at Emerson House, Gosnold's all-female facility. LeClair has also worked with the Children's Cove--the Cape and Islands Child Advocacy Center--for close to 25 years, after playing a pivotal role in creating the organization. She has additionally been a board member and volunteer with the Housing Assistance Corporation, as well as several other organizations for many years.

LeClair's efforts across Cape Cod have not gone unnoticed, as she has been the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including the 2007 Mercy Otis Warren Cape Cod Woman of the Year Award and the Philanthropy Partners of the Cape and Islands 2019 Outstanding Volunteer Award. She has established herself as a pillar of the Cape Cod community, and through her work, she has inspired many others to get involved in local government and the community.

Over the years, LeClair has remained an active advocate for increasing affordable housing. This is why when the Housing Assistance Corporation and Preservation of Affordable Housing, Inc. partnered to build a new affordable housing complex in Mashpee, Massachusetts, there was no question as to who they would name the complex after. Built on town land, LeClair Village will house 39 families, offering affordable housing to low- and moderate-income households. After an 8-year effort between the Town of Mashpee, the Housing Assistance Corporation, Preservation of Affordable Housing, Inc., and many other local non- profits and stakeholders, the project broke ground on May 31, 2023. LeClair Village is expected to complete construction in the summer of 2024. LeClair looks forward to all the children who will soon be able to go to school and say that they live in LeClair Village.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to honor Mary LeClair. I ask that my colleagues join me in recognizing Mary LeClair and all the work that she has done for the Cape Cod community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of the Cape Cod Baseball League's 100th anniversary.

Now 1 of the country's top collegiate summer baseball leagues, the Cape Cod Baseball League was founded in 1923. At its inception, the league consisted of 4 teams: Chatham, Falmouth, Hyannis, and Osterville. During the early years, teams were not limited to only playing other teams within the league. Falmouth even played the major league Boston Braves, who later became the Atlanta Braves, in 1929 and lost by only 1 point in the exhibition game.

Recovering from the Great Depression and with World War II on the horizon, the Cape League shutdown in 1940. However, when the league reopened in 1946, fans and players quickly came back. The league continued to grow and was divided into the Upper Cape and Lower Cape divisions. When the Cape Cod Baseball League returned after the war, the league also implemented a new rule that teams could no longer hire professional or semi-professional baseball players who received a salary. Previously, teams consisted of a mix of local, semipro, and college players, but as the Cape Cod Baseball League grew in popularity, teams like the Sagamore Clouters began to recruit college baseball players. This strategy helped the Clouters to secure 4 championship titles in the 1950s. With more college players being recruited, the Cape Cod Baseball League was sanctioned by the NCAA as a summer collegiate league on March 9, 1965.

Today, the Cape Cod Baseball League is an elite collegiate baseball league made up of 10 teams: the Bourne Braves, Brewster Whitecaps, Chatham Anglers, Cotuit Kettleers, Falmouth Commodores, Harwich Mariners, Hyannis Harbor Hawks, Orleans Firebirds, Wareham Gatemen, and Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox. The Cape Cod Baseball League has more than 350 alumni playing in the major leagues each year. Since the league's inception in 1923, over 1,600 Cape Cod Baseball League players have gone on to play in the major leagues.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to honor the Cape Cod Baseball League. I ask that my colleagues join me in wishing the league continued success and all the best in the years to come.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in celebration of the ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Abolition Row Park and Historical District in New Bedford, Massachusetts.

The park will sit across from three buildings on the National Register of Historic Places--the Nathan and Mary Johnson properties and the Friends Meeting House. Each of these buildings, and the people who lived and met in them, played a significant role in New Bedford's abolition movement. The park was developed through a partnership between the New Bedford Historical Society, the City of New Bedford, and local organizations to reclaim and preserve the 19th century neighborhood that was once home to key members of the Underground Railroad and the city's antislavery movement, including Frederick Douglass.

Nathan and Mary Johnson's house was the first home that Frederick Douglass lived in after escaping slavery in Maryland in 1838. It was at this house that Douglass changed his name from Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey to Frederick Douglass, and it was in New Bedford where Frederick Douglass and his wife, Anna, started their family and Douglass earned his first wages as a freeman.

On June 23, 2023, a ribbon cutting ceremony will be held to celebrate the opening of Abolition Row Park and to commemorate the new local Abolition Row Historical District, which includes four blocks of historic buildings, many of which were the homes of critical anti- slavery advocates leading up to the civil war. The Abolition Row Park will also include a seven-foot statue of Frederick Douglass, who spent his first years of freedom right across the street from that very park.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to celebrate the opening of the Abolition Row Park and Historical District, and I ask that my colleagues join me in acknowledging and honoring the crucial role that the City of New Bedford played in our country's abolition movement.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Mr. Nicholas Motlowitz, a resident of Orleans, Massachusetts, who turns 100 on June 19, 2023.

Mr. Motlowitz was raised in Longmeadow, Massachusetts. In 1943, he joined the war effort in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and bravely served our country as a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy. Mr. Motlowitz was officially discharged from the Navy in 1956.

After returning home from his service in the Philippines, Mr. Motlowitz met the love of his life, Joan, an accomplished ballroom dancer, on the dance floor of Terrain Hall. They married on June 3, 1950, and together they had 2 daughters--Maureen and Marilyn.

Following his service in the Navy, Mr. Motlowitz worked as a chief design engineer at Pratt Whitney Aircraft along with his wife, who worked as a personal secretary and blueprint machine operator for the company. After retiring, the couple moved from Springfield to Orleans, Massachusetts in 1986. Mr. Motlowitz now enjoys spending time with his 5 granddaughters and 6 great grandchildren.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to honor Mr. Nicholas Motlowitz on this joyous occasion of his 100th birthday. I ask that my colleagues join me in wishing him many more years of health and happiness.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Kenneth ``Ken'' Quigley as he steps down from his role as president of Curry College.

Raised in Milton, Massachusetts, Ken graduated from Milton High School in 1975, before attending Boston College, where he received his bachelor's degree from the Carroll School of Management in 1979. With a passion for education and learning, Ken continued his studies at Villanova University and completed his Juris Doctor in 1982. Ken additionally holds an honorary degree from Quincy College and was awarded the Boston College Alumni Achievement Award for Excellence in Education.

Ken first joined Curry College in 1985 as an adjunct professor. Ken then went on to be become a professor of business management before being named Curry College's 14th president in 1996. Throughout Ken's 27-year tenure as president, student enrollment tripled. and the school added numerous undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Under Ken's leadership. Curry College considerably grew its endowment and constructed several new residential and academic buildings.

Outside of his work as president, Ken is involved in a variety of programs and organizations across the South Shore and Cape Cod. Throughout his career, Ken has also served

as chair of the Board of Trustees of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, the Board of the Associated Independent Colleges and Universities of Massachusetts, and the South Shore Chamber of Commerce. Additionally, Ken has served as a member on the Board of Trustees at Xaverian Brothers High School and as an honorary director of the Cape Cod Baseball League.

After 27 years of leadership, Ken steps down from his role as president of Curry College on June 15, 2023. Ken's dedication to both the students and faculty of Curry College over the years serves as an example to all.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to honor Kenneth Quigley, and 1 ask that my colleagues join me in recognizing his career and commitment to the students of Curry College and the greater South Shore community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the 30th anniversary of Falmouth Community Television. Founded on May 31, 1993, Falmouth Community Television is a nonprofit community media center that creates content covering the issues that matter most to the people of Falmouth, Massachusetts. Highlighting oral histories, scientific discoveries at Woods Hole, documentaries, political dialogues, local government discussions, as well as sporting and school events, Falmouth Community Television produces media to represent and serve the local community. Through unfiltered coverage, Falmouth Community Television strives to uplift diverse voices across its platforms and encourage civic engagement and conversations

surrounding public discourse. Whether broadcasting town emergencies and other vital information or working with local nonprofit organizations and community groups to communicate their programs and services, Falmouth Community Television is a pillar of the Upper Cape.

Not only does Falmouth Community Television work to represent the people of Falmouth through the media that it broadcasts, but it also encourages members of the community to participate in the media production process. At the Falmouth Community Media Center, a state-of- the-art facility completed in 2019, people of all ages can take a variety of video production workshops and classes. Using the two production studios, as well as a post-production space, animation suite, audio booth, and podcasting and vlogging set, community members can access and utilize the training and technology necessary to bring their media ideas and concepts to realization. Additionally, Falmouth Community Television offers the Youth Producers Club. This after-school program helps students to develop storytelling skills and learn more about media production and literacy. Across all of Falmouth Community Television's offerings, members can learn more about their community, the television production process, and how to be a critical consumer of media.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to honor the 30th anniversary of Falmouth Community Television, and I ask that my colleagues join me in thanking the organization for its service and wishing Falmouth Community Television all the best in the years to come.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Reverend Nell Fields and her commitment to both the Waquoit Congregational Church and the people of Cape Cod.

The youngest of five daughters, Nell was raised in Kentucky, where her father was stationed at Fort Knox as an Army officer. Nell attended the University of Kentucky and graduated with her Bachelor of Arts in journalism in 1981. Nell then went on to receive her Master of Fine Arts in English as a graduate fellow at Mills College in Oakland, California.

Nell worked in a variety of positions over the years in the publishing, financial services, and technology sectors, but after her bus was evacuated in Manhattan on September 11, 2001, Nell felt a strong calling to ministry. The CEO of Clickshare at the time, Nell started taking courses at the Andover Newton Theological School in 2002. After four years of attending part time, Nell enrolled in school full time and later graduated with her Master of Divinity in 2008.

During her time at the Andover Newton Theological School, Nell was required to serve as a pastoral resident in a hospital. Believing that it was important to increase the number of chaplains within the mental health field, Nell worked at the Westborough State Psychiatric Hospital and served as the chaplain for three years. Nell then worked at Lemuel Shattuck Hospital, where she also helped to create an animal therapy program. Nell has continued her service in the mental health field at the Waquoit Congregational Church by collaborating with the Gosnold Center to set up a series of workshops addressing addiction.

Now the Rector of the Waquoit Congregational Church, Nell first joined the congregation in 2010 as the church's first female pastor. Throughout Nell's time at Waquoit, she has established herself as a pillar of the Falmouth community and has continuously worked to ensure that all who come to the

congregation feel welcome, no matter who they are or where they are from.

Nell's commitment to supporting and bettering the lives of those around her has not gone unnoticed. On May 25, 2023, Nell is being honored by the Falmouth Chamber of Commerce as their 2023 Citizen of the Year. Nell is being recognized not only for her contributions as a pastor, but also for her work across Falmouth and Cape Cod. Nell has served on several boards within the community including the No Place for Hate Falmouth Steering Committee, Belonging to Each Other, and the Barnstable County Human Rights Commission. Additionally, Nell is the Director of Neighborhood Falmouth and the Falmouth Service Center.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud honor Reverend Nell Fields and ask that my colleagues join me in thanking her for her dedication to her congregation and community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the life of John Reed, a history teacher, civil rights activist, and cherished member of the Cape Cod community.

The third of five children, John was born on September 28, 1950, to parents George and Rachel Reed. John was raised in Dorchester, Massachusetts. It was in this same the neighborhood where John first met his wife, Karen, in junior high. The two attended Dorchester High School together and had their first date at their junior year prom.

After graduating from Dorchester High School in 1968, John attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where he received both his bachelor's and master's in history and education. Tutoring his classmates and peers all throughout school, John always had a passion for mentoring and helping others from a young age. John continued this passion as a teacher at Barnstable High School in 1973, where he taught history for 35 years. During his time at Barnstable High School, John served as a member of the Massachusetts Teachers Association and the National Education Association, as well as a member and the President of the Barnstable Teachers Association.

John constantly strove to support and better the lives of his students, especially his students of color. In 1993, John took on the role of Barnstable High School's attendance and equity officer. John also started the Imani Club, which celebrates and advocates for students of color at Barnstable High School. The club's name comes from the Swahili word for faith and belief. John's commitment to improving equity and diversity in schools did not go unnoticed, John was awarded the Human and Civil Rights Award from the Massachusetts Teachers Association in 1993 and the H. Councill Trenholm Memorial Award from the National Education Association in 2008.

John's efforts to further human and equal rights were not just limited to the classroom. John served as the President of the Cape Cod chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) for 17 years from 1991 until 2008. Additionally, he founded the Barnstable County Human Rights Advisory Commission in 2005, as well as the Barnstable County Human Rights Academy for students across Cape Cod. John was also a co-founder of the Zion Union Heritage Museum in Hyannis, which celebrates the African American and Cape Verdean population on Cape Cod.

Sadly, John left us too soon on February 10, 2023, at the age of 72. A celebration of life is being held on April 29, 2023, to celebrate and reflect on the lasting impact John has left on the lives of his students and so many others across Cape Cod. Whether during his time at Barnstable High School, his years as the Cape Cod NAACP President, or his work with the Zion Union Heritage Museum, John's dedication to advancing civil rights and giving a voice to marginalized communities serves as an example to all.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to honor the life of John Reed and ask that my colleagues join me in recognizing his lifetime commitment to supporting and advocating for those in his community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Bourne Intermediate School as the students celebrate Purple Up Day on April 15th during the Month of the Military Child.

April was first named the Month of the Military Child in 1986 by former Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger to recognize military children and the social and emotional challenges they face with frequent moves, starting at new schools, and having their parents deployed. Military families often move every 2 to 3 years, which can greatly impact children.

Combining the colors of all the service branches, Purple Up Day is the day during the month of April to wear purple and show support for the 1.6 million children with a parent serving in the military. This day allows us to celebrate and honor military children and the sacrifice they make for our country. With Joint Base Cape Cod located in the ninth district, many students in our community understand the challenges and sacrifices that come along with having a parent serve in the military.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to honor military children at Bourne Intermediate School and across our country. I ask that my colleagues join me in recognizing the resilience and strength that military children demonstrate each day as their parents serve our country.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Mr. Charles Bauer, Jr., a resident of Halifax, Massachusetts, who turns 100 on April 21, 2023.

Mr. Bauer was born in Hanover, Massachusetts, in 1923 to parents Charles and Alice Bauer. In 1942, Mr. Bauer joined the war effort in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and diligently served our country as a staff sergeant in the U.S. Army Air Corps where he operated the ball turret gunner on B-24 planes. Mr. Bauer's commitment to protecting our country throughout his years of service did not go unnoticed; Mr. Bauer was awarded the Air Medal, Distinguished Unit Badge, Good Conduct Medal, and the Asiatic-Pacific Theater Campaign Ribbon with three battle stars.

Mr. Bauer completed his military service in 1945, and married his wife, Mary, that same year. Together they had three children: Nancy, Linda, and Charles. Following the war, Mr. Bauer returned to Massachusetts and worked as a plant electrician supervisor at Goddard Memorial Hospital for 30 years until he retired in 1988. Mr. Bauer now enjoys working with ham radios and spending time with his friends and family, including his 10 grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchild.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to honor Mr. Charles Bauer, Jr., on this joyous occasion of his 100th birthday. I ask that my colleagues join me in wishing him many more years of health and happiness.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 13th annual Congressional Hockey Challenge, a charity game played between our congressional Lawmakers hockey team and the Lobbyists, which has raised over $1.2 million for charity since 2009. This year's matchup saw the Lawmakers pull out a hard-fought 8-3 win over the Lobbyists, continuing what is now a five-year winning streak.

This year's charities include the Fort Dupont Ice Hockey Club, the nation's oldest minority youth hockey program, founded by iconic U.S. Hall of Fame coach Neal Henderson; four chapters of the Warriors Hockey program, which are teams comprised of disabled American military veterans; and the Professional Women's Hockey Players' Association, an organization committed to the establishment of a professional women's hockey league in North America. Through its partnership with the National Hockey League, Ted Leonsis and the Washington Capitals, Jeremy Jacobs and the Boston Bruins, the Canadian American Business Council, and other key supporters, the annual congressional hockey game aims to ensure that the sport of hockey is accessible to all who wish to play.

In past years, the congressional hockey game has been supported by appearances from NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly, Hall of Famer Pat LaFontaine, Kevin Weekes, Anson Carter, Peter Bondra, Alan May, and Rod Langway, with play by play at times called by sportscaster Joe Beninati. Legendary Hall of Famer and Congressional Gold Medal recipient Willie O'Ree, who shattered hockey's racial barrier with our Boston Bruins in 1958, has been honored in the past and remains a familiar face of the annual game as an unrivaled ambassador to diversity and inclusion.

This year, our Lawmakers team was once again skillfully helmed by former University of Alaska-Fairbanks captain and my colleague Tom Emmer, along with congressional staff, administration officials, and anchored by Olympic women's hockey standouts Haley Skarupa, Megan Keller, and Hayley Scamurra.

Haley Skarupa, a dynamic and prolific scorer with a name peppered throughout both the NCAA and team record books from her time at our shared alma mater of Boston College, earned a gold medal as a forward during the 2018 Olympic Games in PyeongChang. Another standout BC Eagle, Megan Keller, long regarded as one of the best defensive players in the world, sports a gold medal from the 2018 Olympic campaign and a silver from 2022. And Hayley Scamurra, an elite two-way threat out of Northeastern University with a litany of All-Star, MVP, and Player of the Year awards, brought back home silver from Beijing in 2022. The commanding presence of these three Olympians made this year's game one to remember.

Knowing that events such as these are never easy to organize, it's also important to acknowledge that this year's game was once again supported through the foundational efforts of Nick Lewis, Michelle MacGregor, Tim Regan, Kevin Coroneos, and many others who have selflessly volunteered their time and effort toward the game's sustained success year after year.

Mr. Speaker, it is with this in mind that I once again congratulate all the supporters and participants in this year's Congressional Hockey Challenge and recognize the inspired work of these charities. The Fort Dupont Cannons' devotion to equity in the youth community, the Warriors' provision of opportunity for our veterans, and the PWHPA's commitment to broaden the horizon for female athletes, truly helps to both demonstrate and ensure that hockey is for everyone.