Remembering Rep. Elijah Cummings

For 23 years, Congressman Elijah E. Cummings represented Maryland’s 7th Congressional District, bettering Baltimore and Maryland as a whole. When he passed last October, his legacy as a champion of inclusion, equity, and community lived on. Blue Water Baltimore, the Port of Baltimore, and HeartSmiles hosted a tree planting later that month to bring together community members to honor Representative Cummings.

Volunteers from Alpha Phi Omega (Johns Hopkins), Bloomberg Philanthropies, Cub Scout Pack 858, Ecologix Group, Inc., Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Maryland Port Administration, Phi Sigma Kappa (University of Maryland), Women’s Traffic and Transportation Club of Baltimore, and Congressman John Sarbanes came out to plant 73 trees along the Port’s Broening Highway.

Each tree pays tribute to Representative Elijah Cummings’ outstanding leadership and dedication to Baltimore’s youth and environment.

Representative Cummings once told The Sun, “I’ve told people many times that it’s not whether you will have difficulties, the question is how you deal with them.” From climate change, to dumping, to inequitable access to green space, Baltimore faces numerous environmental challenges. Congressman Cummings’ legacy is a reminder that when we face problems, we must find solutions together. At Blue Water Baltimore, we will continue to fight for clean water and strong communities in partnership with community members and leaders across the city in the spirit of Congressman Cummings’ dedication to our region.

Blue Water Baltimore would like to thank Maryland Port Administration for funding this planting and Bloomberg Philanthropies for providing lunch to all of our volunteers.