Tribute in Honor of Mark Davis
Floor Speech
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Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Mark Davis in appreciation of his dedicated service to the people of Kentucky's Fifth Congressional District, specifically through his tireless work with Operation UNITE and the Eastern Kentucky PRIDE organization over the last two decades. I count it a great honor to have had high-caliber individuals, like Mark, helping lead initiatives that I personally launched to meet dire needs across more than 40 counties in southern and eastern Kentucky. He's the type of individual who has sacrificed countless hours, executing a broad spectrum of tasks with his unique charisma, the utmost humility, a tireless reliability and sheer excellence. Mark joined Eastern Kentucky PRIDE (Personal Responsibility in a Desirable Environment) in 2002 as a Field Representative. PRIDE is a grassroots non-profit organization that was launched to help clean-up the hillsides, roadways, lakes and streams, across our beautiful Appalachian region in Kentucky. Thanks in-large-part to Mark's ambition, organizational skills, and drive, upwards of 30,000 volunteers have participated in litter clean-up campaigns every year to improve the environment. There has never been a task too great or too small for Mark. He was always the first to graciously give his time and energy for the greater good, whether it involved greeting volunteers at events and handing out trash bags, or working directly with state officials to clean up the largest illegal dumpsites in Eastern Kentucky, or educating students about the value of greenhouses and protecting our wetlands. While others discussed ways to improve our environment, Mark was outdoors getting the job done. PRIDE's work is where the rubber meets the road--and Mark could often be found pulling up his bootstraps to haul appliances from illegal dumpsites, transport volunteers to service sites, building outdoor classrooms, and finding every opportunity to make a difference every single day. Mark's passion for PRIDE bled over to another powerful movement in our region, Operation UNITE, a holistic non-profit organization aimed at curbing the deadly opioid epidemic both in our region and nationwide. After faithfully volunteering for Camp UNITE, where he served as a mentor to at-risk middle school students, he joined the UNITE team in 2014 as the Youth Programs Coordinator, and later a Law Enforcement Liaison. In an effort to creatively raise drug-free awareness among our youth, Mark operated a state-of-the-art mobile education trailer and prevention program, called ``On the Move,'' in partnership with the Kentucky Army National Guard and the Appalachian High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (AHIDTA). Since 2013, approximately 40,000 students from schools in 43 counties and four states have participated in the interactive program. He also played a valuable role each year at the National Rx Drug Abuse and Heroin Summit, coordinating logistics for the event that has grown into the largest conference in the country aimed at saving lives and addressing the nation's opioid crisis through a multipronged approach. Mark is the teammate you want to have in the fox hole with you when things get tough, and the comic relief you need on a difficult day. His dedication, his inspirational attitude, and perseverance have set the bar high for programs operated by PRIDE and UNITE. I'm grateful for the personal efforts that he has invested in the lives of countless students and families across Southern and Eastern Kentucky, and I wish him the very best success in the years ahead.
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