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1 | SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION
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2 | WHEREAS, It is highly fitting that the General Assembly | ||||||
3 | pays honor and respect to those individuals
who have | ||||||
4 | contributed to the success of their community and the State | ||||||
5 | and to the efforts to cure childhood cancers and other | ||||||
6 | pediatric diseases; and
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7 | WHEREAS, Roger and Regina Landon of Chandlerville | ||||||
8 | established trail rides at the Jim Edgar Panther Creek State | ||||||
9 | Fish and Wildlife Area, one of the State's largest public | ||||||
10 | access areas, to highlight the beautiful facets of nature | ||||||
11 | found at this location, to bring horse and fish enthusiasts | ||||||
12 | together to enjoy the trails of this wildlife area, and to | ||||||
13 | encourage camping at the location; and | ||||||
14 | WHEREAS, In 2001, Roger and Regina Landon began organizing | ||||||
15 | numerous horse trail rides at the Jim Edgar Panther Creek | ||||||
16 | State Fish and Wildlife Area to raise money for the St. Jude | ||||||
17 | Children's Research Hospital (St. Jude), gathering horse | ||||||
18 | enthusiasts from all over central Illinois to attend their
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19 | Saddle-Up for St. Jude event to raise money for children | ||||||
20 | diagnosed with cancer and other
pediatric diseases that are | ||||||
21 | being treated at St. Jude, an event the Landon family | ||||||
22 | continues to host and organize each June to this day; and
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1 | WHEREAS, St. Jude, located in Memphis, Tennessee, treats | ||||||
2 | children
with cancer and other pediatric diseases; the | ||||||
3 | hospital's research efforts
are directed at understanding the | ||||||
4 | molecular, genetic, and chemical basis of catastrophic | ||||||
5 | diseases in
children, identifying cures for such diseases, and | ||||||
6 | promoting their prevention, with research being
focused | ||||||
7 | specifically on cancers, acquired and inherited | ||||||
8 | immunodeficiency disorders, sickle cell
disease, infectious | ||||||
9 | diseases, and genetic disorders; in Illinois, the hospital is | ||||||
10 | associated with the Children's Hospital of
Illinois, located | ||||||
11 | in Peoria; and | ||||||
12 | WHEREAS, St. Jude treats children at no cost to the | ||||||
13 | patients; in order to operate, it is estimated to cost the | ||||||
14 | hospital more than $2 billion each year, with the majority of | ||||||
15 | those funds coming from generous donors and fundraising | ||||||
16 | events; and
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17 | WHEREAS, Roger and Regina Landon started Saddle-Up for St. | ||||||
18 | Jude in 2001 with the initial goal or becoming more successful | ||||||
19 | than similar fundraisers held in Illinois, which then averaged | ||||||
20 | $3,500; their annual benefit includes food, music, raffles, | ||||||
21 | prizes, and a silent auction, with items donated by generous | ||||||
22 | friends and acquaintances; their benefit is well-attended each | ||||||
23 | year, not only by horse enthusiasts but also by individuals | ||||||
24 | interested in supporting St. Jude; and |
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1 | WHEREAS, Roger and Regina Landon's Saddle-Up for St. Jude | ||||||
2 | raised $10,000 after its first benefit, with the event | ||||||
3 | routinely securing more donations each year; when the COVID-19 | ||||||
4 | pandemic looked to derail their efforts in 2020, they pivoted | ||||||
5 | their outdoor event to a virtual fundraiser, collecting an | ||||||
6 | additional $35,000 for St. Jude; most recently, their benefit | ||||||
7 | raised over $63,000 in 2022; since the benefit's inception, | ||||||
8 | they have given over $800,000 to benefit the children at St. | ||||||
9 | Jude; and | ||||||
10 | WHEREAS, For his work and dedication, Roger Landon was | ||||||
11 | recognized as Event Coordinator of the Year by St. Jude in | ||||||
12 | 2012, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the hospital, | ||||||
13 | which was established in 1962; and | ||||||
14 | WHEREAS, Sadly, Roger Landon passed in the fall of 2021; | ||||||
15 | Michael Landon, one of Roger and Regina's sons, assumed the | ||||||
16 | leadership role for the Saddle-Up for St. Jude event, | ||||||
17 | continuing his parents' efforts to bring people together in | ||||||
18 | order to support the work of St. Jude; and | ||||||
19 | WHEREAS, The Landon family remains personally interested | ||||||
20 | in the Jim Edgar Panther Creek Equestrian Park, not only | ||||||
21 | because of it being the location for Saddle-Up for St. Jude but | ||||||
22 | also for their desire to keep the park beautiful and enticing |
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1 | for everyone to visit and camp; therefore, be it
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2 | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL | ||||||
3 | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF | ||||||
4 | REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING HEREIN, that we designate the | ||||||
5 | equestrian campground within the Jim Edgar Panther Creek State | ||||||
6 | Fish and Wildlife Area in Chandlerville as the "Landon | ||||||
7 | Equestrian Campground"; and be it further | ||||||
8 | RESOLVED, That the Department of Natural Resources is | ||||||
9 | requested to erect at suitable
locations, consistent with | ||||||
10 | State and federal regulations, appropriate plaques or signs | ||||||
11 | giving notice of the name "Landon Equestrian
Campground"; and | ||||||
12 | be it further | ||||||
13 | RESOLVED, That we recognize Regina Landon and the late | ||||||
14 | Roger Landon on their distinguished volunteerism and their | ||||||
15 | lifelong
dedication to the people of Illinois and to | ||||||
16 | preserving the natural fish and wildlife areas of Illinois; | ||||||
17 | and be it further
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18 | RESOLVED, That we recognize Michael Landon for continuing | ||||||
19 | his parents' legacy and leading Saddle-Up for St. Jude; and be | ||||||
20 | it further
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21 | RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be |
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1 | presented to the Director of Natural
Resources and the Landon | ||||||
2 | family.
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