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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3 Representatives are pleased to congratulate Illinois Secretary
4 of State Jesse White and the members of the Jesse White
5 Tumbling Team on the occasion of the team's 50th anniversary in
6 2009; and
 
7     WHEREAS, The Jesse White Tumbling Team has thrilled
8 audiences since December 8, 1959, when Illinois Secretary of
9 State Jesse White, the team's founder and coach, created the
10 team to provide a recreational, athletic, educational, and
11 cultural enrichment experience for young people throughout the
12 State; the team makes over 1,000 appearances each year; and
 
13     WHEREAS, The Jesse White Tumbling Team's acrobatic
14 performances can frequently be seen during half-time shows for
15 the National Basketball Association, the National Football
16 League, and Major League and Minor League Baseball games; the
17 team has appeared on numerous television programs, including
18 Late Night with David Letterman, The Tonight Show, Good Morning
19 America, The Jenny Jones Show, the Mickey Mouse Club, and How'd
20 They Do That; to their credit, the team has appeared in 4
21 movies and 25 commercials; the team entertains at business and
22 sporting events year-round, including colleges and
23 universities nationwide; the team also performed during the

 

 

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1 52nd, 53rd, and 54th Presidential Inaugural Parades; and
 
2     WHEREAS, The Jesse White Tumbling Team has performed in 6
3 countries outside of the United States of America and has an
4 international following; the team's fans can be found from
5 Tokyo, Japan, to Hong Kong, China, Bermuda, Jamaica, and
6 Canada; and
 
7     WHEREAS, A number of the Jesse White Tumblers, some of whom
8 are as young as 6 years old, are residents of Chicago's Henry
9 Horner housing development; other members of the team are
10 residents from 11 communities within the Chicago metropolitan
11 area; and
 
12     WHEREAS, The Jesse White Tumbling Team was designed to be a
13 juvenile delinquency prevention program that helps youngsters
14 "grow tall and straight"; the members are required to abide by
15 Jesse White's strict rules, which include staying in school,
16 maintaining a "C" average in academic coursework, and staying
17 away from gangs and drugs; and
 
18     WHEREAS, Due to Jesse White's "tough love" approach and his
19 active involvement as coach, teacher, friend, mentor,
20 confidant, and surrogate father to the members, over 12,000
21 young men and women have benefited from the program since the
22 team's inception; and
 

 

 

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1     WHEREAS, The Jesse White Tumbling Team will celebrate the
2 50th anniversary of the creation of the team during a reception
3 and dinner on February 23, 2010 at the United Center in
4 Chicago; therefore, be it
 
5     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
6 NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
7 congratulate Jesse White and all the past and present members
8 of the Jesse White Tumbling Team on the occasion of the team's
9 50th anniversary and thank Illinois Secretary of State Jesse
10 White for the creation of this wonderful program, for putting
11 his heart and soul into it, and for the countless fans they
12 have entertained; and be it further
 
13     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
14 presented to Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White as a
15 symbol of our esteem and respect.