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| 1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION | ||||||
| 2 | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of | ||||||
| 3 | Representatives wish to congratulate West Suburban Irish on | ||||||
| 4 | its more than three decades of honoring Irish culture; and | ||||||
| 5 | WHEREAS, West Suburban Irish is a 501(c)3 nonprofit with | ||||||
| 6 | the mission of cultivating a genuine appreciation and | ||||||
| 7 | understanding of Irish heritage, culture, language, music, | ||||||
| 8 | art, literature, and sports across the communities in the | ||||||
| 9 | western suburbs of Chicago; the organization was founded after | ||||||
| 10 | Naperville resident Kevin Dolan organized Naperville's first | ||||||
| 11 | St. Patrick's Day Parade in 1993; and | ||||||
| 12 | WHEREAS, West Suburban Irish has grown its St. Patrick's | ||||||
| 13 | Day Parade into a large community event that celebrates Irish | ||||||
| 14 | culture within Naperville and offers opportunities for other | ||||||
| 15 | community organizations to showcase their members, hosting | ||||||
| 16 | over 90 organizations and 3,000 individual participants and | ||||||
| 17 | drawing 15,000 spectators; and | ||||||
| 18 | WHEREAS, West Suburban Irish is also known for its | ||||||
| 19 | Naperville Irish Fest, an annual, two-day festival that | ||||||
| 20 | features events honoring the organization's Irish roots, | ||||||
| 21 | including traditional Irish dancers and bagpipers, while | ||||||
| 22 | sharing Ireland's rich culture with over 3,000 attendees; the | ||||||
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| 1 | festival also hosts a number of children's activities, such as | ||||||
| 2 | a photo opportunity with a leprechaun and a children's parade; | ||||||
| 3 | and | ||||||
| 4 | WHEREAS, West Suburban Irish remains committed to honoring | ||||||
| 5 | Irish heritage through its Naperville Irish Fest while | ||||||
| 6 | providing attendees with an accessible local festival that | ||||||
| 7 | gives back to the community, with proceeds going to a number of | ||||||
| 8 | local charities, including the Institute of Traditional Irish | ||||||
| 9 | Music, the Naperville Area Humane Society, and Loaves & Fishes | ||||||
| 10 | Community Services; therefore, be it | ||||||
| 11 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | ||||||
| 12 | HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | ||||||
| 13 | we congratulate West Suburban Irish on its more than three | ||||||
| 14 | decades of honoring Irish culture; and be it further | ||||||
| 15 | RESOLVED, That we commend the organizers, volunteers, and | ||||||
| 16 | performers of the Naperville Irish Fest for their continued | ||||||
| 17 | efforts to enrich, enlighten, and uplift all of Naperville's | ||||||
| 18 | residents and guests with cultural exhibits, dances, and | ||||||
| 19 | activities; and be it further | ||||||
| 20 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
| 21 | presented to West Suburban Irish as a symbol of our esteem and | ||||||
| 22 | respect. | ||||||