HLS 20RS-711 ORIGINAL 2020 Regular Session HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 12 BY REPRESENTATIVE EDMONSTON COMMENDATIONS: Recognizes Beau Porto Special Tuesday on its twenty-fifth anniversary and commends its founder and director, Bobbie Blanchard 1 A RESOLUTION 2To commend Bobbie Blanchard and recognize her foundation, Beau Porto Special Tuesday, 3 on its twenty-fifth anniversary. 4 WHEREAS, for the past twenty-five years, Beau Porto Special Tuesday has provided 5services to persons with disabilities in Ascension Parish and in surrounding parishes; and 6 WHEREAS, the program offers educational, recreational, and social opportunities 7for physically, mentally, or emotionally disabled individuals and their families; and 8 WHEREAS, Bobbie Blanchard, the founder of Beau Porto Special Tuesday, was 9inspired to create this foundation after seeing her physically handicapped grandson, Beau 10Porto, struggle to enjoy activities with other children his age; and 11 WHEREAS, the program began with roughly fifty participants but has since grown 12to nearly three hundred as of last summer; since there are no summer special education 13programs in the Ascension Parish public school system, the summer programs are popular 14opportunities for participants to make friends and connect with others; the program also 15hosts an annual Christmas party; and 16 WHEREAS, Beau Porto Special Tuesday has participants from Ascension and 17Assumption parishes as well as those who travel from Gramercy, Lutcher, Baton Rouge, and 18even Texas; and 19 WHEREAS, as the program grew, it partnered with the Ascension Parish School 20Board to provide nutritional food choices for its participants; both the parish council and the 21school board have also assisted the program with locations where the program can be held, Page 1 of 2 HLS 20RS-711 ORIGINAL HR NO. 12 1and local businesses have joined in by providing supplies and donations; the Sorrento Fire 2Department and the Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office have offered demonstrations to teach 3the program's participants about the importance of fire safety and building good relationships 4with law enforcement officers; and 5 WHEREAS, in 2001, Ms. Blanchard received the Angel Award from Blue Cross and 6Blue Shield for her incredible work to assist the disabled citizens of Louisiana, and she has 7been recognized numerous times throughout the past twenty-five years for her heroic work; 8and 9 WHEREAS, Ms. Blanchard is a proven leader in Louisiana and her selfless 10dedication to the disabled members of our community through the foundation of Beau Porto 11Special Tuesday is undoubtedly worthy of recognition. 12 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the House of Representatives of the 13Legislature of Louisiana does hereby commend Bobbie Blanchard for her dedication to the 14disabled citizens of Louisiana on the occasion of the twenty-fifth anniversary of her 15foundation, Beau Porto Special Tuesday; does hereby express sincere gratitude to Ms. 16Blanchard for her selfless sense of civic duty; and does hereby extend hopes and wishes for 17the continued success of Beau Porto Special Tuesday. 18 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to 19Bobbie Blanchard. DIGEST The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)] HR 12 Original 2020 Regular Session Edmonston Commends Bobbie Blanchard for her dedication to the disabled citizens of La. on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of her foundation, Beau Porto Special Tuesday. Page 2 of 2