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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

  
 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of 
3Representatives wish to recognize the 25th anniversary of the 
4Evergreen Cemetery Walk, created to bring  attention to the 
5importance of preserving and respecting cemeteries; and
  
 
6    WHEREAS, In 1995, an innovative educational program was 
7proposed  that combined history and theater to
address the issue 
8of cemetery vandalism, particularly at Evergreen Memorial 
9Cemetery, Bloomington's oldest cemetery; the idea took form in 
10a meeting between the McLean County Museum of History and the 
11McLean
County Arts Center
and came to fruition with the 
12partnership of the Illinois Voices Theatre-Echoes and the 
13Evergreen Memorial Cemetery; and
  
 
14    WHEREAS, The Evergreen Cemetery Walk began with the mission 
15of
preventing further vandalism by teaching the community about 
16the historical importance of
cemeteries using the voices of the 
17very people who are buried there; and
  
 
18    WHEREAS, The Evergreen Cemetery Walk began as a single 
19weekend and four school days of performances; today, it  serves 
20over 3,000 people each year over the course of
eight days; over 
21the past 25 years, not only has vandalism been significantly 
22reduced, but over 78,000
people have attended the event; since 
 
 
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1its inception, the
event has featured the voices of 183 
2different people whose stories illustrate
the impact the people 
3of McLean County have had on local, national, and global 
4scales; and
  
 
  
5    WHEREAS, The Evergreen Cemetery Walk is an
award-winning, 
6nationally recognized interpretive program and has helped 
7start cemetery walks throughout
the country; this would not 
8have been possible without the collaboration between these 
9groups and the thousands of hours of volunteering that they, 
10along with the community, provide each year; therefore, be it
  
 
11    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE 
12HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that 
13we recognize the 25th anniversary of the Evergreen Cemetery 
14Walk, created to bring  attention to the importance of 
15preserving and respecting cemeteries; and be it further
  
 
16    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be 
17presented to the McLean County Museum of History, the McLean

18County Arts Center,
the Illinois Voices Theatre-Echoes, and the 
19Evergreen Memorial Cemetery.