HR0636 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0636 LRB097 14947 KXB 59979 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to congratulate Bill Mitchell for receiving the "2011 Best High School Blood Drive Coordinator Award" from the Illinois Coalition of Community Blood Centers; and

WHEREAS, In 2007, Bill Mitchell took over the organization of the annual spring Student Council blood drive at East Leyden High School; and

WHEREAS, A second yearly blood drive in the fall was soon added to East Leyden's schedule at Bill's request; and

WHEREAS, Under Bill's innovative leadership, the donations collected at East Leyden High School's blood drives have risen dramatically and are now well more than double what they were when he began; and

WHEREAS, East Leyden's faculty and staff have donated over 1,330 units of blood at the school drives Bill has overseen; and

WHEREAS, The success in Bill's drives lies in the enthusiasm he has generated among students through his creativity in turning the blood drives into "theatrical productions" in which student volunteers feel that they are part of a cast playing various roles to manage the various aspects of the drives; and

WHEREAS, Several East Leyden High School Alumni have gone on to achieve placement in pharmacy school and Harvard University as a result of scholarship money that was awarded to the high school because of its successful blood drives; and

WHEREAS, The results of Bill's efforts will continue to be seen for years to come because of the critical role high school blood drives play in cultivating lifetime donors; and

WHEREAS, In 2011, LifeSource, Chicagoland's Blood Center, nominated Bill Mitchell as the "Best High School Blood Drive Coordinator" in a state-wide competition hosted by the Illinois Coalition of Community Blood Centers; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we commend Bill Mitchell for his selfless service to his community and his strong commitment to his students; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Bill Mitchell as a symbol of our respect and esteem.