R E S O L U T I O N 1-1 WHEREAS, The World's Largest Rattlesnake Round-Up will be 1-2 held in Sweetwater on the weekend of March 7-9, 1997; and 1-3 WHEREAS, Sponsored by the Sweetwater Jaycees since 1958, this 1-4 internationally acclaimed event has attracted thousands of people 1-5 to this modest Texas town; many of the 35,000 annual visitors come 1-6 to participate in the snake hunt, although most are there for the 1-7 thrill of seeing live rattlesnakes and the chance to taste this 1-8 Texas delicacy; and 1-9 WHEREAS, Conceived by a group of area farmers and ranchers 1-10 plagued by an abundance of rattlers, the event has grown to become 1-11 the world's largest round-up, with more than 100 tons of western 1-12 diamondback rattlesnakes turned in to date; and 1-13 WHEREAS, Among the highlights of this three-day affair are 1-14 the Rattlesnake Run, the rattlesnake review parade, and the Miss 1-15 Snake Charmer beauty contest, in which contestants compete for 1-16 college scholarships donated by the Jaycees; proceeds from the 1-17 round-up go toward the support of local charities and youth 1-18 programs and help fund the Sunshine Inn, a learning center for the 1-19 mentally handicapped; and 1-20 WHEREAS, The round-up also offers visitors the opportunity to 1-21 see experienced snake handlers demonstrate the various milking 1-22 techniques used to extract the snakes' dangerous venom; this toxic 1-23 substance is beneficial to cancer research and can be used as an 1-24 antidote to snakebite; and 2-1 WHEREAS, The Rattlesnake Round-Up has generated a great deal 2-2 of publicity for the city of Sweetwater and its fine citizens, and 2-3 the Sweetwater Jaycees are truly deserving of special legislative 2-4 recognition for their sponsorship of this popular event; now, 2-5 therefore, be it 2-6 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 75th Texas 2-7 Legislature hereby commend the Sweetwater Jaycees on their 2-8 sponsorship of the World's Largest Rattlesnake Round-Up and extend 2-9 to the Jaycees best wishes for success with this year's event; and, 2-10 be it further 2-11 RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be 2-12 prepared for the Sweetwater Jaycees as an expression of high regard 2-13 by the Texas House of Representatives. Counts Laney Gutierrez Oliveira Alexander Haggerty Olivo Allen Hamric Palmer Alvarado Hartnett Patterson Averitt Hawley Pickett Bailey Heflin Pitts Berlanga Hernandez Place Bonnen Hightower Price Bosse Hilbert Puente Brimer Hilderbran Rabuck Burnam Hill Ramsay Carter Hinojosa Rangel Chavez Hirschi Raymond Chisum Hochberg Reyna of Bexar Christian Hodge Reyna of Dallas Clark Holzheauser Rhodes Coleman Horn Rodriguez Cook Howard Roman Corte Hunter Sadler Counts Hupp Seaman Crabb Isett Serna Craddick Jackson Shields Cuellar Janek Siebert Culberson Jones of Lubbock Smith Danburg Jones of Dallas Smithee Davila Junell Solis Davis Kamel Solomons Delisi Keel Staples Denny Keffer Stiles Driver King Swinford Dukes Krusee Talton Dunnam Kubiak Telford Dutton Kuempel Thompson Edwards Lewis of Tarrant Tillery Ehrhardt Lewis of Orange Torres Eiland Longoria Turner of Coleman Elkins Luna Turner of Harris Farrar McCall Uher Finnell McClendon Van de Putte Flores McReynolds Walker Gallego Madden West Galloway Marchant Williams Garcia Maxey Williamson Giddings Merritt Wilson Glaze Moffat Wise Goodman Moreno Wohlgemuth Goolsby Mowery Wolens Gray Naishtat Woolley Greenberg Nixon Yarbrough Grusendorf Oakley Zbranek _______________________________ Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 212 was adopted by the House on February 26, 1997, by a non-record vote. _______________________________ Chief Clerk of the House