Mr. Speaker, the most important thing a person can do is make a difference in the life of a child.
Chuck Bailey died on March 20 of this year after a lifetime of making a difference, dedicating more than 50 years to little league baseball as a pioneer of the Whalley Little League.
Chuck built a league that today is famous across the country. Over the years, he coached two Whalley teams to the Little League World Series and helped win 160 championships.
Chuck built more than a league. He built a family. Many of the youth he coached are themselves coaches today. In 2006 Chuck said:
I love the game. It's nice to see the smiles on the kids' faces. And when you see their tears you feel like crying too because they try so hard.
At Chuck's service, people wore their ball caps and jackets and afterward went to the ballpark, sat in the bleachers and ate hamburgers and smokies. How fitting.
I know Chuck will be with us when we throw out the first pitch of the 2008 little league season on Saturday, and we will all tip our hats to him.