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2006 SPECIAL SESSION I


HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 5026
Commending the Alexandria Chapter of the American Red Cross on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Waterfront Festival and the Alexandria Chapter's 90th anniversary.

 

Agreed to by the House of Delegates, May 10, 2006
Agreed to by the Senate, May 12, 2006

 

WHEREAS, the Alexandria Red Cross Waterfront Festival, which will be held June 17-18, 2006, at Oronoco Bay Park, celebrates its 25th anniversary; and

WHEREAS, established in 1981 by Jane Brooks Mays, the popular Waterfront Festival began as a picnic for Alexandria businesses and has evolved into a major community event featuring live entertainment, arts and crafts, tall ships, children’s activities, food, a wine garden and many more activities enjoyed by Alexandria's residents; and

WHEREAS, the Waterfront Festival is run by 60 executive committee volunteers and an  additional 1,000 dedicated volunteers who staff the two-day event; and

WHEREAS, proceeds raised by the festival go to support local programs of the Alexandria Red Cross, such as disaster preparedness and response, health and safety courses, youth education, messaging and location services for military families and immigrants, and support for the community’s low-income elderly through the Friendly Visitor Program; and

WHEREAS, celebrating its 90th anniversary this year, the Alexandria Chapter of the American Red Cross was the first chartered chapter of the American Red Cross in the Commonwealth and was established on February 24, 1916; and

WHEREAS, as World War I progressed, calls for assistance for the victims of war were relayed to the American Red Cross; responding in Alexandria to the overwhelming need, Esther Dashiell Taylor Burke, along with a group of her friends and relatives, began to collect money, clothing, surgical dressings, medicines, and other necessities; and

WHEREAS, the newly formed group met in the fall of 1914 as the Red Cross Society of Alexandria and became a fully chartered chapter in 1916; and

WHEREAS, today, the Alexandria Red Cross' enthusiastic volunteers and staff are committed to meeting the humanitarian needs of the community in disaster preparedness, disaster response, first aid and CPR training, and disease prevention programs, as well as providing services for isolated seniors, special activities for young people, and student after-school programs; and

WHEREAS, the Alexandria Red Cross works hard to meet the emergency needs of Alexandrians, including disaster relief and recovery, emergency communication, international tracing, communications services, and transportation program services; and

WHEREAS, while responding to the specific needs of the residents of Alexandria, the Alexandria Red Cross also offers full support to the national organization of the American Red Cross; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly commend and congratulate the Alexandria Chapter of the American Red Cross on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Waterfront Festival and the Alexandria Chapter's 90th anniversary; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the Alexandria Chapter of the American Red Cross as an expression of the General Assembly’s gratitude for its dedication to the well-being of the citizens of Alexandria and the Commonwealth.