Full Text of HR1151 100th General Assembly
HR1151 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 1 | | HOUSE RESOLUTION
| 2 | | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of | 3 | | Representatives are pleased to recognize Eddie Olczyk; and
| 4 | | WHEREAS, Eddie Olczyk grew up in Niles and Palos Heights, | 5 | | where he attended Brother Rice Catholic High School and | 6 | | excelled in youth hockey as a member of the 1982 national | 7 | | championship winning Team Illinois; he continued to excel as a | 8 | | member of the 1984 United States Olympic hockey team; his | 9 | | 16-season National Hockey League career began in Chicago as the | 10 | | third pick of the 1984 Entry draft, when he was drafted by the | 11 | | Chicago Blackhawks; as a member of the 1994 New York Rangers, | 12 | | he became a Stanley Cup champion; he coached the Pittsburgh | 13 | | Penguins for two seasons and was inducted into the United | 14 | | States Hockey Hall of Fame in 2012; and
| 15 | | WHEREAS, The Chicago Blackhawks and the Chicago Blackhawks | 16 | | Foundation founded the Eddie Olczyk Award in 2011 to support | 17 | | young hockey players and teams who lack the means to play at a | 18 | | competitive level; since its inception, the Eddie Olczyk Award | 19 | | has distributed more than $360,000 in grants to 160 individuals | 20 | | and eight organizations with funds raised through Blackhawks | 21 | | Youth Hockey Summer Camps, for which Eddie serves as head | 22 | | coach; and
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| 1 | | WHEREAS, Eddie Olczyk has been a life long fan of horse | 2 | | racing and began his career in television broadcasting during | 3 | | the 1995 hockey work stoppage by providing in-house coverage of | 4 | | horse races at the Meadowlands Racetrack; since then, Eddie has | 5 | | become a well-loved television analyst for the Chicago | 6 | | Blackhawks on NBC Sports Chicago and WGN-TV; as the lead | 7 | | analyst for NHL national broadcasts on NBC, he has garnered | 8 | | awards, including the Chicago Athletic Association's Ring | 9 | | Lardner Award, two Emmys from the Chicago/Midwest Chapter of | 10 | | the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for | 11 | | "Outstanding Achievement for Individual Excellence on Camera: | 12 | | Programming" and "Outstanding Achievement for Sports | 13 | | Programs-Sporting Event/Game-Live/Unedited Program/Special;" | 14 | | he has continued to use his visibility in the hockey community | 15 | | to promote horse racing by giving his derby picks on air and | 16 | | visiting the Kentucky Derby, Meadowlands Racetrack, and | 17 | | Belmont Park with the Stanley Cup; he has remained a mainstay | 18 | | in thoroughbred horse racing broadcasting and has taken part in | 19 | | covering such events as the Golden Cup and the American Triple | 20 | | Crown, including the Kentucky Derby; he thoroughly enjoys | 21 | | visiting with trainers, jockeys, stable hands, and horses on | 22 | | the backstretch, and he has co-owned horses with Todd Pletcher, | 23 | | Chad Brown, and Tammy Domenosky and has forged relationships | 24 | | with leaders within the horse racing community, including with | 25 | | Bob Baffert; and
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| 1 | | WHEREAS, Eddie Olczyk recently fought a public battle with | 2 | | colon cancer, becoming a source of strength and encouragement | 3 | | for countless cancer patients and their families by telling his | 4 | | story, advocating for early detection, and making public | 5 | | appearances at hockey games and horse races whenever his body | 6 | | would allow; he has received tremendous support from his family | 7 | | and the hockey and horse racing communities; he was declared | 8 | | cancer free in March 2018 and has eagerly stepped back into his | 9 | | roles as a hockey and horse racing analyst, providing coverage | 10 | | of both the NHL playoffs and the Kentucky Derby; and
| 11 | | WHEREAS, Eddie and Diana Olczyk are parents to four | 12 | | children and have been married for 30 years; therefore, be it
| 13 | | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | 14 | | HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we | 15 | | recognize Eddie Olczyk and his accomplishments, and we wish him | 16 | | continued success in his broadcasting career; and be it further
| 17 | | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 18 | | presented to Eddie Olczyk as an expression of our esteem and | 19 | | respect.
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