78R16409 MW-D

By:  Hopson                                                       H.R. No. 1264



R E S O L U T I O N
	WHEREAS, On November 1, 2003, participants in the Davy 
Crockett Charity Ride will embark on an inspirational, 
six-and-a-half-week trek to benefit people who have Down's 
syndrome; and
	WHEREAS, Organized by songwriter and storyteller Phil 
Thomas, the group will depart from Lawrenceburg, Tennessee, Davy 
Crockett's hometown, and follow a route that ends at the Alamo in 
San Antonio, where the renowned frontiersman died; other 
participants, traveling on horseback, on foot, and by wagon, will 
join in at various points along the way, with saddle clubs in 
Tennessee, Mississippi, and Louisiana helping to publicize the 
event; altogether, the ride will traverse four states and 31 
counties; and
	WHEREAS, Mr. Thomas was inspired to pursue his long-held 
ambition to make such a ride by his grandson, Van Warden, an 
eighth-generation Texan who has Down's syndrome; dedicated to 
raising awareness of that condition, Mr. Thomas is using the Davy 
Crockett Charity Ride to promote understanding and acceptance of 
people with Down's syndrome; and
	WHEREAS, This laudable undertaking reflects the zest that Mr. 
Thomas has brought to all his endeavors throughout a remarkable and 
rewarding career; a former football quarterback at Mississippi 
State University and a veteran of the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne 
Division, he coached high school football for a number of years in 
Memphis before moving his family to Middle Tennessee and turning 
his hand to songwriting; among the artists who have recorded his 
songs have been Johnny Paycheck, George Strait, Randy Travis, 
Alabama, and Barbara Mandrell; and
	WHEREAS, Nationwide, more than 350,000 Americans have Down's 
syndrome, and Mr. Thomas and the many people participating in this 
ride are to be commended for their efforts to bring these 
individuals' lives and dreams to the public's attention; now, 
therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 78th Texas 
Legislature hereby recognize the Davy Crockett Charity Ride and 
extend to Phil Thomas and all who join in this admirable project 
warmest best wishes for a successful and memorable journey; and, be 
it further
	RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be 
prepared for Phil Thomas as an expression of high regard by the 
Texas House of Representatives.