HR0997 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0997 LRB096 21542 GRL 38412 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to congratulate the members of the Jesse White Tumbling Team on the occasion of the team's 50th anniversary; and

WHEREAS, The Jesse White Tumbling Team has thrilled audiences since 1959, when Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White, the team's founder and coach, created the team to serve as a positive alternative for children residing in and around the Chicago area; the team makes over 1,000 appearances each year; and

WHEREAS, The Jesse White Tumbling Team's acrobatic performances can frequently be seen during half-time shows for the National Basketball Association, the National Football League, and Major League Baseball games; the team has appeared on Late Night with David Letterman, The Tonight Show starring Jay Leno, Good Morning America, The Jenny Jones Show, Disney Channel's Mickey Mouse Club, CBS' How'd They Do That, and several performances on Nippon Television in Tokyo; the team has been featured in commercials for Coca-Cola, Jewel Food Store, the Chicago White Sox, and Blue Cross/Blue Shield; the team has appeared in the movies Heaven is a Playground, Ferris Buehler's Day Off, and The Meteor Man; the team also performed during the 52nd and 53rd Presidential Inaugural Parades; and

WHEREAS, The Jesse White Tumbling Team has an international following; the team's fans can be found from Tokyo, Japan, to Hong Kong, China, Bermuda, Jamaica, and Canada; and

WHEREAS, The members of the Jesse White Tumblers are residents from 10 communities within the Chicago metropolitan area; some are as young as 6 years old; and

WHEREAS, The Jesse White Tumbling Team was designed to be a juvenile delinquency prevention program that helps youngsters "grow tall and straight"; the members are required to abide by Jesse White's strict rules, which include staying in school, maintaining a "C" average in academic coursework, and staying away from gangs and drugs; and

WHEREAS, Due to Jesse White's "tough love" approach and his active involvement as coach, teacher, friend, mentor, confidant, and surrogate father to the members, over 11,500 young men and women have benefited from the program since the team's inception; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate the members of the Jesse White Tumbling Team on the occasion of the team's 50th anniversary and wish them continued success and happiness in the future; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the Jesse White Tumbling Team as a symbol of our esteem and respect.