[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E33]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    HONORING THE LIFE OF MIKE BANKS

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. DOUG COLLINS

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, January 9, 2014

  Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the life of a 
great Georgian, Mike Banks.
  Earlier this week, Mike lost his earthly battle with pulmonary 
fibrosis.
  Mike's absence leaves a void in several Northeast Georgia circles, 
ranging from banking and broadcasting to community service 
organizations and his home church.
  Mike's commitment to community service was inspired by Matthew 25:36-
40, ``whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and 
sisters of mine, you did for me.''
  Among his many outlets of civic involvement, Mike was a founder of 
the John Jarrard Foundation.
  Under the leadership of Mike and the rest of the Executive Committee, 
the John Jarrard Foundation grew from an annual concert to a 
regionally-recognized organization supporting songwriters and a number 
of great causes.
  The Foundation supports a number of wonderful music programs, 
including a songwriting education program for Georgia students. In 
addition, the Foundation sponsors songwriting concerts throughout the 
Southeast.
  My prayers and thoughts go out to Mike's family as they mourn a loss 
that will be felt by many in Northeast Georgia.

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