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| 1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION
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| 2 | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of | ||||||
| 3 | Representatives wish to honor the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority's | ||||||
| 4 | Xi Nu Omega Chapter for the organization's work in the | ||||||
| 5 | community and thank the Monarch Awards Foundation for honoring | ||||||
| 6 | African-American men through the Monarch Awards Gala's | ||||||
| 7 | "Tribute to Black Men" on November 4, 2017; and
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| 8 | WHEREAS, The Monarch Awards Gala is the Monarch Awards | ||||||
| 9 | Foundation's major fundraiser; the Gala's proceeds are used for | ||||||
| 10 | scholarships, community programs, and non-profit grants; and
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| 11 | WHEREAS, Through the Monarch Awards Foundation, Alpha | ||||||
| 12 | Kappa Alpha Sorority's Xi Nu Omega Chapter contributes | ||||||
| 13 | resources to help improve social and economic conditions | ||||||
| 14 | through service initiatives and progressive educational | ||||||
| 15 | enrichment, health promotion, family strengthening, | ||||||
| 16 | environmental ownership, and global impact programming; the | ||||||
| 17 | Monarch Awards has evolved from an annual fundraiser sponsored | ||||||
| 18 | by a chapter of 30 women to a 501(c)(3) non-profit foundation | ||||||
| 19 | with a dues-paying membership of more than 300, implementing | ||||||
| 20 | year-round programming, a charitable giving plan, a | ||||||
| 21 | scholarship program, and two teen leadership development and | ||||||
| 22 | mentoring programs; and
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| 1 | WHEREAS, The Monarch Awards Gala's first "Tribute to Black | ||||||
| 2 | Men" was held in November of 1983, when 12 distinguished | ||||||
| 3 | African-American men accepted their Monarch Awards and became | ||||||
| 4 | the freshman class of honorees; since its inception, the | ||||||
| 5 | "Tribute to Black Men" has honored 351 unsung heroes of their | ||||||
| 6 | communities; and
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| 7 | WHEREAS, The 2017 "Tribute to Black Men" honorees are | ||||||
| 8 | Julius Thomas (Business), Jeff Dase (Education), Lee Anderson | ||||||
| 9 | Smith Jr. (Outstanding Youth), Pierre Johnson M.D. | ||||||
| 10 | (Professional Achievement), Sean Long (Public Service), Rev. | ||||||
| 11 | Dr. Jesse M. Brown (Religion), and Commander Robert L. Davis | ||||||
| 12 | (Statesmanship); and
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| 13 | WHEREAS, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority's Xi Nu Omega Chapter, | ||||||
| 14 | the Monarch Awards Foundation, and the 2017 "Tribute to Black | ||||||
| 15 | Men" honorees all serve as models of hard work, integrity, and | ||||||
| 16 | dedication for the people of the State of Illinois; therefore, | ||||||
| 17 | be it
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| 18 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | ||||||
| 19 | HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we | ||||||
| 20 | honor the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority's Xi Nu Omega Chapter for | ||||||
| 21 | the organization's work in the community, thank the Monarch | ||||||
| 22 | Awards Foundation for honoring African-American men through | ||||||
| 23 | the Monarch Awards Gala's "Tribute to Black Men", and wish both | ||||||
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| 1 | organizations continued success in the future; and be it | ||||||
| 2 | further
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| 3 | RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be | ||||||
| 4 | presented to Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and the Monarch Awards | ||||||
| 5 | Foundation as a symbol of our esteem and respect.
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