HR0748

LRB096 15444 KXB 30658 r





  
1

HOUSE RESOLUTION

  
 
2
    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of 
3
Representatives are pleased to congratulate Fred Rodgers, 
4
longtime youth services director of Aurora, on having the Root 
5
Street Community Center renamed the Fred Rodgers Community 
6
Center; and
  
 
7
    WHEREAS, After a lifetime spent working for the young 
8
people of this city, Fred Rodgers' name will be immortalized on 
9
the Root Street community center that houses his office; and
  
 
10
    WHEREAS, He  will retire at the end of October of 2009 and 
11
as a tribute, the Aurora City Council voted unanimously to 
12
re-name the Root Street building the Fred Rodgers Community 
13
Center; and
  
 
14
    WHEREAS, Fred

Rodgers started working with the city in 1986 
15
and since then has started and nurtured dozens of programs for 
16
the kids of Aurora, including the City of Lights tournaments, 
17
the Aurora Sports Festival, and many anti-violence and 
18
drug-prevention initiatives; and
  
 
19
    WHEREAS, Many of the things that Fred Rodgers has done over 
20
the years have not been public information, including paying 
21
for college educations, or giving kids rides to the train so 
 


 






HR0748
- 2 -
LRB096 15444 KXB 30658 r




1
they could attend school, or offering jobs to teens to keep 
2
them off the street; and
  
 
3
    WHEREAS,
A dedication ceremony for the Fred Rodgers 
4
Community Center will be held on November 7, 2009; therefore, 
5
be it
  
 
6
    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 
7
NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we 
8
congratulate Fred Rodgers on this tribute and wish him all the 
9
best in his future endeavors; and be it further
  
 
10
    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be 
11
presented to Fred Rodgers as a symbol of our respect and 
12
esteem.