Full Text of HJR0013 102nd General Assembly
HJ0013 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 1 | | HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION
| 2 | | WHEREAS, It is highly fitting that the Illinois General | 3 | | Assembly pays honor and respect to those who have made a | 4 | | difference in their community and in Illinois; and
| 5 | | WHEREAS, Brooks Edwin Tonn was born on August 29, 2007, | 6 | | the beloved son of Nora (Keenan) and Robert Tonn; and
| 7 | | WHEREAS, Brooks Tonn grew up in Hinsdale, where he | 8 | | excelled in academics at school and in sports; he was always | 9 | | first to be on the field and was always ready for a pick-up | 10 | | game or to watch the others play; he was the pitcher on his | 11 | | beloved baseball team, the Hinsdale Red Dogs, and quarterback | 12 | | on his Hinsdale Falcons football team; he loved playing golf | 13 | | and swimming; and
| 14 | | WHEREAS, In December of 2016, Brooks Tonn was diagnosed | 15 | | with rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare form of childhood cancer; and | 16 | | WHEREAS, Cancer did not stop Brooks Tonn's dedication to | 17 | | those around him or the sports he loved, especially baseball; | 18 | | and | 19 | | WHEREAS, Brooks Tonn even timed his cancer treatments so | 20 | | he could attend school and play the sports he loved; and |
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| 1 | | WHEREAS, During the year of his medical treatments, Brooks | 2 | | Tonn, a lifelong baseball fan, played in 54 games for his | 3 | | cherished Red Dogs, the Hinsdale Little League, and the | 4 | | Hinsdale All Stars; and | 5 | | WHEREAS, Brooks Tonn made sure that all kids were welcome | 6 | | in any game he played; and | 7 | | WHEREAS, Brooks Tonn was introduced to Jason Garrett, the | 8 | | head coach of the Dallas Cowboys; after their first meeting, | 9 | | they became fast friends, and Garrett gave Brooks his personal | 10 | | phone number, so they could keep in touch through text; and | 11 | | WHEREAS, Brooks Tonn was given the opportunity to fly to | 12 | | Dallas to meet the Dallas Cowboys and watch a private | 13 | | practice; he was presented with the game ball, which made him | 14 | | forget how much discomfort he felt from his treatments; and | 15 | | WHEREAS, Anthony Rizzo of the Chicago Cubs, a survivor of | 16 | | cancer himself, visited Brooks Tonn and sat with him while he | 17 | | was receiving chemotherapy treatments; and | 18 | | WHEREAS, Brooks Tonn lived by the motto "Have Courage and | 19 | | Be Kind," and his community rallied behind him and that | 20 | | belief; and |
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| 1 | | WHEREAS, From the day Brooks Tonn was diagnosed to his | 2 | | last moments, Reverend Wayne Watts was present, offering | 3 | | spiritual support for the entire family; and | 4 | | WHEREAS, During his treatments, Brooks Tonn met many | 5 | | wonderful people who helped him and his family cope with the | 6 | | difficulties he faced on a daily basis; dozens of family | 7 | | members and friends joined together to offer a meal-prep | 8 | | service to his whole family for months, giving them the | 9 | | opportunity to focus on the fight they were facing; and | 10 | | WHEREAS, Local newspapers published stories about Brooks | 11 | | Tonn while he was in the earlier stages of his treatment; | 12 | | through a friend, his story was shared with actress and | 13 | | director Lisa Varga, who interviewed Brooks and developed a | 14 | | documentary about his fight against cancer; and | 15 | | WHEREAS, Brooks Tonn passed away peacefully on December 1, | 16 | | 2017 and is survived by his loving parents; he was the dear | 17 | | brother of Hunter, Griffin, and Scarlett; the cherished | 18 | | grandson of Nancy and William Brooks Keenan and Barbara and | 19 | | Donald Tonn; the cherished nephew of Betsy and Brian Moran, | 20 | | Bill and Denise Keenan, Trish and Patrick Kinsella, Dan and | 21 | | Tracey Keenan, Tom and Danielle Keenan, and Donald Jr. and | 22 | | Kari Tonn; the dearest cousin of Kate and Christian Arquilla, |
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| 1 | | Finn Arquilla, Jack, Christopher, and Nora Moran, William IV | 2 | | and Hannah Keenan, Genevieve, Patrick Cass, and Colette | 3 | | Kinsella, Christopher, Lauren, Jane, and Ben Keenan, Patrick, | 4 | | Caroline, and Sean Keenan, Lindsey Kaplan-Herman, and Amanda | 5 | | Tonn; and | 6 | | WHEREAS, Following Brooks Tonn's passing, more than 2,000 | 7 | | friends, family, dignitaries, and community members attended | 8 | | his memorial service and funeral; and | 9 | | WHEREAS, The Brooks Strong Foundation was formed in memory | 10 | | of Brooks Tonn; and | 11 | | WHEREAS, The Brooks Strong Foundation funds cutting-edge | 12 | | pediatric cancer research and provides scholarships to defray | 13 | | the cost of sports and extracurricular activities for families | 14 | | with kids going through cancer treatment; and | 15 | | WHEREAS, The Hinsdale Little League has honored Brooks | 16 | | Tonn with the creation of the Brooks Tonn Award for the player | 17 | | on each team that demonstrates a commitment to teamwork, | 18 | | effort, and kindness; and | 19 | | WHEREAS, Like a shooting star, Brooks Tonn's brilliant, | 20 | | shining glow, his smile, and his energy, lit up the lives of | 21 | | everyone who had the privilege of knowing him, but are gone too |
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| 1 | | soon; just because he is no longer here, it does not mean he | 2 | | will be forgotten; his presence resonates through all who knew | 3 | | him and through the Brooks Strong Foundation; and
| 4 | | WHEREAS, Since the day of Brooks Tonn's passing, blue and | 5 | | yellow cups have adorned the 47th Street Bridge over | 6 | | Interstate 294 with his rallying cry "Brooks Strong"; and
| 7 | | WHEREAS, It is fitting that we provide a lasting honor to | 8 | | the memory of Brooks Tonn; therefore, be it
| 9 | | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | 10 | | HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE | 11 | | SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we designate the 47th Street | 12 | | Bridge over Interstate 294 as the "Brooks Edwin Tonn Memorial | 13 | | Bridge"; and be it further | 14 | | RESOLVED, That the Illinois Toll Highway Authority is | 15 | | requested to erect at suitable locations, consistent with | 16 | | State and federal regulations, appropriate plaques or signs | 17 | | giving notice of the name of the "Brooks Edwin Tonn Memorial | 18 | | Bridge"; and be it further
| 19 | | RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be | 20 | | presented to the family of Brooks Tonn, the Illinois Toll | 21 | | Highway Authority, and the Brooks Strong Foundation.
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