For the second time in his administration, Zachary Mayor David Amrhein welcomed distinguished guests from Zachary and surrounding communities to the Mayor's Prayer Breakfast Friday, Nov. 9.

This year's special guest speaker was basketball legend Dale Brown.

The theme for the annual event was 'Count Your Blessings,' and Mayor Amrhein urged the more than 200 attendees to "get involved, and stay involved."

He also thanked the student participation from Zachary High School which included performances from the choir, band and JROTC. "Any time we can involve our kids, we should do so, they are our future," Amrhein said.

In addition, Amrhein acknowledged gospel singer Randy Knaps for his moving renditions of several songs throughout the event. "We're truly blessed to hear him sing today," the mayor said.

Amrhein also thanked his wife, Robin, and his parents for their support. "I couldn't do what I do without the support of my wife," said Amrhein. "I am also blessed to have the greatest parents in the world. They instilled in me the moral character and fiber necessary to do this job. I can never, ever repay them for what they have done for me."

Amrhein also thanked all city employees and the support of his staff, namely Kathi Brumley, his secretary.

He acknowledged the Zachary Fire Department for cooking the breakfast of eggs, sausage, bacon, hash browns, biscuits and fruit and the Zachary Rotary Club for serving it.

Dignitaries in attendance included, but were not limited to (in no specific order): Zachary City Councilmen Dan Wallis Sr., John Coghlan, Tommy Womack, Francis Nezianya and Brandon Noel, Police Chief David McDavid, Fire Chief Danny Kimble, Judge Lonny Myles, City Prosecutor Trae Welch, Sen. Rick Ward, Sen. Sharon Weston Broome, Rep. Kenny Havard, Mayor of St. Francisville, Billy D'Aquilla, former Baker Mayor Pete Heine, Judge Duke Welch, representatives from the EBR Clerk of Courts office, former Zachary Mayor Charlene Smith, former Fire Chief Dan Wallis Jr., former Baton Rouge Mayor Tom Ed McHugh, Judge Charlene Charlet Day, Economic Development Director for Zachary Kate MacArthur, former Police Chief David Courtney, Clinton Mayor Don H. Reason and Clinton Police Chief Eddie Stewart, among others.

Amrhein also paid special tribute to the following people who served on the prayer breakfast committee: Wayne Allison, Denise Burdette, Jackie Snowden, Ashlee Anderson, Stephanie Fisher, Sharon Phillips, Kathi Brumley, Glen Triche and Diane Womack.

Others involved in assisting with the breakfast included First Baptist Church of Zachary, Dixon Correctional Institute and the ZHS Art department's Chloe Aguillard and student artists Calyn Knight and Michael Webb.

Special guests on the dais included Master of Ceremonies Billy Kline and his wife Donna Kline, Father Jeff Bayhi, of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, Pastor Greg Davis of Zachary United Methodist Church, Pastor Earnest Morris of Church of the Burning Fire, gospel singer Randy Knaps, McKinley Sherman of Copper Mill Elementary, and Ikenna Nzewi, Zachary High, Senior Class Vice President.

Special guest speaker Dale Brown opened his speech with mentioning Zachary as a top 10 city in which to live and the school district acheiving number one status in the state for the past 8 years.

"It's the spirit of the people in towns like Zachary, like those of you living in this community, that make it such a successful place to live, work and go to school," said former LSU basketball coach Dale Brown. "But America needs to wake up! We have lost our moral courage, but you people in Zachary have it!"

Brown went on to say that Americans shouldn't ever think they can compromise with evil, even though there is more goodness in the world than evil. "Courage sustains us in the face of difficulty," Brown said.

"There are three groups of people in the world: Those who make things happen, those who watch things happen and those who wonder what happen," he said. "Which group do you belong to?"

Brown went on to speak on the topics of human rights, hope, determination, fear and faith, quoting such notables as Maya Angelou, Dante, Albert Einstein, Ghandi and Oscar Wilde, among others.

"The only thing more powerful than fear is faith," said Brown. "We must have the moral and spinal courage to address the wrongs in the world and in our own communities. Don't ever think you cannot do something, have the moral courage to know you can, and do it."

He ended his powerful speech with the following Oscar Wilde quote: "Every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future."