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2002 SESSION

028226792
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 297
Offered January 24, 2002
Commending Tom “Big Tom” Buchanan.
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Patrons-- Carrico, Dudley, Johnson and Kilgore
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WHEREAS, Tom "Big Tom" Buchanan is a goat and cattle farmer from Rich Valley in Smyth County; and

WHEREAS, a native of Smyth County and well-known in the area, Big Tom Buchanan became much more widely known as a result of his appearance on the CBS television program, "Survivor: Africa"; and

WHEREAS, with 15 other contestants, Big Tom Buchanan attempted to survive the rigors of the African bush while attempting to outperform and outwit his competitors in pursuit of a $1 million prize; and

WHEREAS, Big Tom Buchanan was a successful contestant, surviving as one of the "final four" on the program's last broadcast, when he was voted out by the other survivors; and

WHEREAS, over the course of the three-month "Survivor: Africa," Big Tom Buchanan became something of a folk hero, much as his predecessor, Rudy Boesch from Virginia Beach, was on the original "Survivor" program; and

WHEREAS, Big Tom Buchanan has become a minor industry in Southwest Virginia, with tourists from as far away as Florida coming to meet the man whose homespun humor and direct approach to the often-devious survivors captured the imaginations of viewers across the country; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly commend Tom “Big Tom” Buchanan for his successful and highly amusing performance on "Survivor: Africa"; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Big Tom Buchanan as an expression of the General Assembly's gratitude for his single-handed attempt to revive the economy of Southwest Virginia.