H.R. No. 977



R E S O L U T I O N
	WHEREAS, On September 26, 2002, Governor Rick Perry issued 
Executive Order RP19 in which the governor noted that donating 
blood provides a lifesaving service to patients with cancer, burns, 
transplants, and other surgeries and encouraged each state agency 
in Texas to allow its employees to take one hour of compensatory or 
vacation time to donate blood to address this current shortage; and
	WHEREAS, Mr. Tim Flynn, State Capitol nurse, in partnership 
with The State of Texas Anniversary Remembrance (STAR) Day 
Foundation, has announced plans to coordinate and sponsor THE GREAT 
TEXAS BLOOD DONOR ROUNDUP at the State Capitol on Thursday, May 22, 
2003, at the Robert E. Johnson Building in Room #3 from 9 a.m. till 3 
p.m. to provide an opportunity for all elected individuals, State 
Capitol legislative office employees, and employees of State 
Capitol agencies to donate a pint of blood as a STAR DAY birthday 
present for our state for Texas children in need; and
	WHEREAS, The State of Texas Anniversary Remembrance (STAR) 
Day bill (S.B. 1656) was passed by the 76th State of Texas 
Legislature, was signed into law by Governor George W. Bush on June 
18, 1999, and stated that all Texas public schools and other 
organizations shall celebrate the birthday of the State of Texas on 
the 19th of February each year with appropriate and patriotic 
programs to inspire a greater appreciation for the history of our 
state; and
	WHEREAS, THE GREAT TEXAS BLOOD DONOR ROUNDUP has been 
organized and established by The State of Texas Anniversary 
Remembrance (STAR) Day Foundation as an appropriate and patriotic 
annual statewide program by which Texas public schools and other 
organizations may sponsor as one of the ways and means of 
celebrating the birthday of the great State of Texas each year; and
	WHEREAS, The State of Texas Anniversary Remembrance (STAR) 
Day Foundation is inviting all the nearly 900,000 students in the 
sixth, seventh, and eighth grades of Texas public schools to 
volunteer and donate their time as their annual STAR DAY student 
birthday present for our state to help ROUNDUP their parents, 
brothers and sisters of age, relatives, schoolteachers, staff, 
administrators, school district board of trustee members, and 
adults in their school's service area to donate a pint of blood for 
Texas children in need at a school ROUNDUP event by signing a 
STUDENT ROUNDUP PLEDGE letter approved by parents in which each 
volunteer student pledges to read four books and complete eight 
hours of public service work in an after-school setting to 
challenge and motivate an adult to donate a pint of blood for Texas 
children; and
	WHEREAS, The State of Texas Anniversary Remembrance (STAR) 
Day Foundation shall commemorate the volunteer service partnership 
in education between a student and blood donor by donating one book 
sponsored by Texas families, businesses, and organizations in the 
name of the participating school, student, blood donor, and book 
sponsor to encourage and inspire students to make achievements in 
reading and service in an after-school program as their STAR DAY 
student birthday presents for our state, where each book features 
the life and times of a past pioneer and leader of the State of Texas 
approved by their school librarian in collaboration with their 
school's Texas and United States history teachers; and
	WHEREAS, The STAR DAY Foundation, in partnership with 
volunteer students and adults from sixth, seventh, and eighth grade 
Texas public schools in El Paso, Grimes, and Galveston Counties, 
has already coordinated and sponsored 10 ROUNDUP events in 2003 at 
middle schools, The University of Texas at El Paso, county 
courthouses, American Legion Posts, and Fort Bliss for Texas 
children in need for the benefit of the Shriners Children's Burn 
Center Hospital in Galveston County; and
	WHEREAS, THE GREAT TEXAS BLOOD DONOR ROUNDUP provides an 
appropriate and patriotic opportunity for all eligible adults at 
the State Capitol to donate a pint of blood to Texas children in 
need as a STAR DAY birthday present for our state; now, therefore, 
be it
	RESOLVED, That the 78th Legislature of the State of Texas 
hereby recognize May 22, 2003, as THE GREAT TEXAS BLOOD DONOR 
ROUNDUP DAY at the State Capitol.

                                                                          Hunter

                                                  ______________________________
                                                       Speaker of the House     

	I certify that H.R. No. 977 was adopted by the House on May 
22, 2003, by a non-record vote.

                                                  ______________________________
                                                     Chief Clerk of the House