HR0528 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0528 LRB102 20892 LAW 29775 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Elizabeth Ann Weidner of Dieterich, who passed away on September 29, 2021; and

WHEREAS, Elizabeth Weidner was born to Matthew and Jennifer (McCabe) Weidner in Effingham on January 2, 2004, earning the distinction of 1st Baby of the Year at St. Anthony's Memorial Hospital; she was the second of four children; she was dubbed Queen Elizabeth by her great-grandfather Albert, and he affectionately called her his "Queenie"; and

WHEREAS, Elizabeth Weidner was diagnosed with Stage 4 High Risk Neuroblastoma in January 2016, and she underwent numerous surgeries, chemotherapy, radiation, bone marrow transplant, immunotherapy, clinical trials, and more; she battled this horrible disease with grace, determination, and strength for nearly 6 years; during which, she inspired and impacted so many on the local, state, and national level; and

WHEREAS, Elizabeth Weidner was crowned Junior Miss Effingham County Fair in 2017, and she was immensely proud to wear the crown and to represent Effingham County at many pageants, events, parades, and festivals across the State; she then started Crowns Fight Cancer to raise money and awareness in the fight against childhood cancer with the motto "Just a Girl Changing the World One Rhinestone at a Time"; along with the help of several clubs, schools, communities, and businesses, she started an amenity drive, collecting and donating over 80,000 personal care items to date to Children's Miracle Network Hospitals and Ronald McDonald Houses in multiple states, helping families like hers by providing items they may lack during hospital stays and allowing them to focus on their children; and

WHEREAS, Elizabeth Weidner was involved in numerous activities, organizations, and clubs; she was involved in modified pedal tractor pulls from a young age and competed in numerous competitions; one year, she was both the Illinois and Indiana State Champion; she competed at nationals in Mitchell, South Dakota for many years, pulling at times in excess of 900 pounds; and

WHEREAS, Elizabeth Weidner had a passion for dance and started dance lessons at Jansen's when she was only 3 years old; she loved all kinds of dance; she was a cheerleader for the Teutopolis Junior High School for 2 years, cheering her teams through multiple state appearances; her love for dance eventually led her to become a Teutopolis High School Pomerette, fulfilling a childhood dream of hers; she was the Illinois High School Association Spirit of Sport winner in 2021; and

WHEREAS, Elizabeth Weidner was also passionate about theater and drama; she placed Runner-Up at the Poetry Out Loud competition in Springfield in 2020, reciting Invictus, Triumph Like a Girl, and Siblings; she performed in numerous plays at the Effingham Performance Center, Teutopolis Junior High School, and Teutopolis High School; she also had one of the leading parts in the Teutopolis Terquasquicentennial Celebration; she was preparing for the fall's production at the time of her passing; and

WHEREAS, Elizabeth Weidner was a member of the Country Cousins 4-H Club and other spin clubs; she was involved in public speaking through 4-H and also exhibited many other general projects, and she won at the state level for many years; she showed many different animals throughout the years, including rabbits, chickens, dogs, cats, and pigs; she also competed in Master Showmanship; she was named one of four 2021 National 4-H Youth in Action Pillar winners in the area of Civic Engagement in 2020; most recently, she showed pigs at the Duquoin State Fair and had the Reserve Grand Champion Duroc Gilt; and

WHEREAS, Elizabeth Weidner was also a member of the FFA; she loved volunteering with the Piglets on Parade exhibit during the Illinois State Fair, educating the public about the swine industry; she was a chapter officer for the Teutopolis FFA chapter and served as reporter and secretary; she was also a Section 20 officer for 2 years and served as sentinel and secretary; she participated in many contests throughout the years, and she won the Section 20 Creed Speak Contest and was the 2020 State winner for her SAE in Service Learning, advancing to nationals; she received her State FFA Degree in 2021, a distinction that only the Top 3% of Illinois FFA members receive; she was working towards her American Degree, a distinction that only the Top 1% of American FFA members receive; she wrote many grants to start the hydroponic program at Teutopolis High School, working with teachers to secure funding for revamping the courtyards, which will benefit students at Teutopolis High School; she was also working to secure funding to build a greenhouse, elevating the FFA program for students and the community; and

WHEREAS, in 2017, Elizabeth Weidner became an advocate for those battling childhood cancer, and she was a national spokesperson at many American Cancer Society events; she was responsible for bringing the Gold Together initiative to Illinois for the American Cancer Society; she spoke, danced, and hosted at Curefest in Washington, D.C. many times and pleaded with Congressional leaders to increase funding for childhood cancer research and ultimately better treatments; she participated in several childhood cancer caucuses and Climb the Hill events on Capitol Hill; she was part of a groundbreaking meeting at the University of Maryland, where the FDA, medical professionals, parents, and children met to discuss chemotherapy induced hearing loss; she partnered with Kids v. Cancer and the American Childhood Cancer Organization and worked on numerous projects; in the last few years, she filmed the award-winning The Promise: A Docuseries on Childhood Cancer and the mini-documentary Switching the Summit, and she had started working on a third film project in August; as an individual, she raised nearly $70,000 for various cancer organizations over the years and, as part of various groups, she raised millions for research and family support programs; and

WHEREAS, Elizabeth Weidner earned the distinction of the Governor's Volunteer Service Award and the national Prudential Community Spirit Award in 2019; she also highly encouraged organ and blood product donation, and she never shied away from giving food to the homeless; and

WHEREAS, Elizabeth Weidner was a kind, caring, loving, passionate, and graceful young woman who inspired and influenced many all over the world; even through the most difficult times, she would brighten a room with her smile; she had a zest for life and loved spending time with her brothers; and

WHEREAS, Elizabeth Weidner's legacy will continue through The Elizabeth Ann Weidner Memorial Scholarship Fund, which has been established as a way for her servant's heart to continue giving; and

WHEREAS, Elizabeth Weidner was preceded in death by a sibling angel; her aunt, Kimberly L. McCabe; her cousins, Derek and Nathan Weidner; her great-grandparents, Albert and Arvella (Alexander) McCabe, Marion and Sophia (Schwab) Gasparovich, Raymond and Bernadine (Ochs) Kuenstler, and Royal and Emma (Buerster) Weidner; and

WHEREAS, Elizabeth Weidner is survived by her parents; her brothers, Ethan (Madilyn Brummer), Eric, and Evan; her grandparents, Richard and Margaret (Kuenstler) Weidner; her many, many animals; and her many aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, pageant sisters, and supporters from afar; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Elizabeth Ann Weidner and extend our sincere condolences to her family, friends, and all who knew and loved her; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the parents of Elizabeth Weidner as an expression of our deepest sympathy.