Congratulating Andrew Burk, St. Johns County Teacher of the Year
Floor Speech
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Mr. RUTHERFORD. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Andrew Burk for being named St. Johns County Teacher of the Year.
Mr. Burk received this honor for his work as band director and teaching sixth, seventh, and eighth grade music classes at Valley Ridge Academy. Teaching since 2017, he has received awards for both outstanding educational leadership and high academic classroom achievement.
Mr. Burk uses innovative teaching methods to help students learn faster and play advanced music earlier in their musical development. Outside of the classroom, he was also a cofounder of the Collegiate Music Education Day at the Florida Capitol.
On behalf of the Fourth Congressional District of Florida, I thank Mr. Burk for his dedication to educating the students of northeast Florida and for his commitment to the success of his students and peers alike. Congratulating the FOAR From Home Rowing Team
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Mr. RUTHERFORD. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the FOAR From Home rowing team for crossing the Atlantic Ocean in 51 days, 11 hours, and 41 minutes.
The team of four from Fernandina Beach rowed more than 3,000 miles, beginning in the Canary Islands and ending in Antigua. This unbelievable accomplishment was part of an annual race that takes place in December and included 30 different rowing teams.
The FOAR From Home team consisted of four American veterans: Billy Cimino of the United States Army, Cameron Hansen of the United States Air Force, A.M. Huppmann of the United States Navy, and Paul Lore of the United States Marine Corps.
The team raised money to help end veteran suicide, with proceeds going to K9s for Warriors, an organization in northeast Florida that pairs service dogs with veterans suffering from PTSD.
On behalf of the Fourth Congressional District of Florida, I thank FOAR From Home for their individual service to our Nation, and I congratulate them on a once-in-a-lifetime team accomplishment.
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