HR0992 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0992 LRB096 21534 KXB 38377 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, On January 12, 2010, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake destroyed the capital city of Port-au-Prince and several regions of the impoverished country of Haiti; and

WHEREAS, Approximately 200,000 people lost their lives and more than 1.5 million people are now homeless and without the basic resources of food or clothing; and

WHEREAS, Prior to the earthquake, Haiti was still in the process of recovering from a ruinous series of hurricanes and tropical storms, food shortages, and rising commodity prices and political instability; and

WHEREAS, Lawyers in the Chicago Community and beyond organized swiftly to assist the people of Haiti in their time of need to help alleviate the distress, hunger, and despair resulting from the earthquake; and

WHEREAS, The Haitian American Lawyer's Association, Phi Alpha Delta Fraternity-Chicago Alumni Chapter, and the Haitian Congress to Fortify Haiti, together with distinguished co-chairs from the public and private sector practice of law, and members of the organized bar have united to form Lawyer's United to Help Haiti Rebuild: A Call to Action; and

WHEREAS, Lawyer's United to Help Haiti Rebuild will host a dinner on March 31, 2010 to provide financial, emotional, and legal support for the Haitian people; and

WHEREAS, Lawyer's United to Help Haiti Rebuild issued a call to action urging attorneys to devote their time, talent, energy, and treasure to aid in the recovery, reconstruction, and redevelopment efforts in Haiti by raising money to benefit Partners in Health, World Vision, and a consortium of Haitian-American organizations working to support specific projects to provide aid to the Haitian people and assist in reconstruction efforts; and

WHEREAS, Crucial emergency relief will require a sustained and comprehensive effort to which Lawyer's United to Help Haiti Rebuild are committed; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that March 31, 2010 be designated Lawyer's United to Help Haiti Rebuild: A Call to Action Day in the State of Illinois in honor of the Haitian people and the relief efforts undertaken on their behalf.