HR0553 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0553 LRB096 13434 KXB 28163 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to honor Kendall Ciesemier of Wheaton North High School for her efforts in beginning the Kids Caring 4 Kids organization; and

WHEREAS, Inspired by the number of orphaned and impoverished children in Africa after watching an episode of the Oprah Winfrey show, Kendall Ciesemier sponsored a young girl from Zambia with her own money; and

WHEREAS, After doing research, she found that there are nearly 12 million children in Africa who have lost one or both parents to AIDS, other diseases, or violence; in 2004, Kendall started the foundation, Kids Caring 4 Kids, to raise money for AIDS orphans in Africa; and

WHEREAS, After her own physical hardships and 2 surgeries she carried on her mission, and asked that rather than people sending her flowers and gifts during her recovery, that money be sent to Africa; and

WHEREAS, Since its inception, the foundation has raised more than $740,000; in September of 2007 she was recognized by former President Bill Clinton at Wheaton North High School; he took her to a taping of "Oprah" where she learned that there was an anonymous donation of $500,000 to the foundation; and

WHEREAS, In April of 2009, the foundation launched an "i care 2" kit, which consists of a letter from Kendall, an informational DVD, a T-shirt, and step-by-step guide to giving; it is hoped that this kit will empower other kids to do something special; and

WHEREAS, In June of this year Kendall was selected by Build-A-Bear Workshop as a member of the 2009 class of Huggable Heroes, recognizing leaders under the age of 18 who make a difference in schools, communities, and beyond; and

WHEREAS, Kids Caring 4 Kids has worked with other organizations to feed more than 600 orphans, widows, and AIDS patients in Zambia; it has helped build the Hope for Life Center in Kenya, provided clean water in Zambia, built a dorm in Ngulini, a Kenyan community with nearly 30 orphan girls, helped support an orphan care center in South Africa, built bikes for kids in Zambia, and rescued child laborers in Ghana; and

WHEREAS, In addition to committing most of her time to the foundation, Kendall is a sophomore at Wheaton North High School where she serves as class president, plays tennis, competes on the varsity speech team, and works with special needs students; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we honor Kendall Ciesemier and commend her hard work and devotion to the concerns of others; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Kendall Ciesemier as a symbol of our respect.