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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The Patriots baseball team of The University of |
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Texas at Tyler has won the Jostens/National Association of Division |
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III Athletic Administrators Community Service Award for the best |
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ongoing project or activity in the nation; and |
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WHEREAS, The award honors the team's Sport Cards for Kids |
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program, which began in June 2003; the Patriots baseball players |
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have since conducted more than 125 events with East Texas |
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organizations, including Tyler Independent School District, |
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Whitehouse Independent School District, Bullard Independent School |
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District, the American Heart Walk, Trinity Mother Frances Hospital, |
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and the Boys and Girls Clubs of East Texas, touching the lives of |
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thousands of young people in the Tyler area; and |
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WHEREAS, Members of the team have promoted education and |
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caring by providing baseball cards to children in local elementary |
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schools and hospital pediatric units; the program was later |
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expanded so that the players could offer baseball clinics and |
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sports equipment for young people; and |
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WHEREAS, Head coach James Vilade, along with assistants Kyle |
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Welsh and Jack Price, began the program in order to provide area |
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youth with local sports role models and to allow the members of the |
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baseball team to be helpful to the Tyler community; and |
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WHEREAS, Past and present members of the UT Tyler Patriots |
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have graciously answered this call to action; in so doing, their |
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service to the city of Tyler has extended well beyond the baseball |
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diamond, and they have become a powerful and positive influence on |
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the area's young residents; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 80th Texas |
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Legislature hereby congratulate The University of Texas at Tyler |
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Patriots baseball team on winning a Jostens/National Association of |
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Division III Athletic Administrators Community Service Award and |
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commend the players and coaches for their commitment to their |
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community; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for the team as an expression of high regard by the Texas |
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House of Representatives. |