2019 Regular Session ENROLLED
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 110
BY SENATORS CARTER AND BISHOP
A RESOLUTION
To commend Bivian "Sonny" Lee III for his work on behalf of the community and the Son
of a Saint organization for enhancing the lives of one hundred fatherless boys in New
Orleans.
WHEREAS, the New Orleans-based nonprofit organization, Son of a Saint, exists
to enhance the lives of fatherless boys through mentorship, emotional support, development
of life skills, exposure to constructive experiences, and formation of positive, lasting
peer-to-peer relationships; and
WHEREAS, Bivian "Sonny" Lee III founded Son of a Saint on January 1, 2011, in
honor of his late father, Bivian Lee Jr. and his mother; and
WHEREAS, his father was an NFL defensive back for the New Orleans Saints from
1971 to 1975, and tragically in 1984, died at the young age of 36 after suffering a heart
attack, leaving behind a wife who became a single mother to a five-year-old daughter,
Tamica, and three-year-old, Sonny; and
WHEREAS, as an adult, Sonny came to understand the struggles and challenges his
mother faced and he gained a real appreciation for the opportunities he had as a child,
opportunities the average boy would not be afforded; he aimed to "pay it forward" and
replicate his own experience for a special group of fatherless young males in the community;
and
WHEREAS, each year, Son of a Saint selects a group of boys ages 10-13 to join the
existing kids in its program; the boys must be fatherless due to their father's death or
incarceration; each boy remains an official Son of a Saint mentee until he is 19, but the
connections remain, and they continue to advise and support him in the years that follow;
and
Page 1 of 2 SR NO. 110 ENROLLED
WHEREAS, their goal is to graduate self-sufficient, independent thinkers who are
leaders who give back to their community, as Son of a Saint equips boys with the tools they
need to become productive men; the boys are given hope, vision, and opportunity and
provided a secure and consistent environment as each boy must maintain a minimum
2.7 GPA, complete eight hours of community service each month, and maintain good
conduct at home, school, and within the Son of a Saint organization; and
WHEREAS, the Son of a Saint mentors' most important role is simply to be a good
example; and
WHEREAS, in January 2019, the organization reached a significant milestone of
serving 100 fatherless boys, the highest enrollment of young men to date, and marks a
tenfold increase since the inaugural class of just 10 mentees in 2011; with a sense of pride,
the organization is following the collegiate careers of the first four Son of a Saint graduates
who are currently pursuing undergraduate degrees, each being the first in his family to attend
college.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
does hereby commend Bivian "Sonny" Lee III of New Orleans, for his life's work on behalf
of the community and the Son of a Saint organization for enhancing the lives of 100
fatherless boys in New Orleans.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to
Bivian "Sonny" Lee III, founder of Son of a Saint.
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
Page 2 of 2