[Pages H2812-H2813]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        HONORING ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS ON THEIR 90TH ANNIVERSARY

  (Mrs. SYKES asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Mrs. SYKES. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor the 90th anniversary 
of Alcoholics Anonymous, a global, peer-led and spiritual-based, 12-
step program, an organization founded in Ohio's 13th Congressional 
District in my hometown of Akron, Ohio.
  In June of 1935, a meeting between Bill W., a New York stockbroker, 
and Dr. Bob, an Akron surgeon, both struggling with alcoholism, sparked 
a movement that would change millions of lives around the world.
  With the guidance of Dr. William Silkworth, they came to understand 
that alcoholism is not a moral failure but a disease of the mind and 
body that requires treatment. From that understanding and their 
commitment to helping others, Alcoholics Anonymous was born.
  What began as one small group meeting at Akron City Hospital has now 
grown into a global fellowship with 123,000 groups in 180 countries and 
literature translated into more than 100 languages.
  With an estimated membership of over 2 million people, Alcoholics 
Anonymous has helped countless individuals find hope, recovery, and 
community.
  AA's legacy of humility and service is reflected in its traditions, 
especially the principles of anonymity and putting service before self. 
Those who are members are dedicated, because each year they make the 
pilgrimage to Akron on Founders' Day to pay tribute

[[Page H2813]]

to Dr. Bob and provide hope and support for one another.
  Today I am proud to stand here to celebrate the 90th year of 
Alcoholics Anonymous and their healing and perseverance. I am very 
proud this extraordinary legacy began in Ohio's 13th Congressional 
District.

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