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| 3 | 4 | | |
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| 4 | 5 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 5 | 6 | | WHEREAS, Texas A&M University alumnus John Ball is embarking |
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| 6 | 7 | | on a unique adventure and raising money for a good cause by walking |
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| 7 | 8 | | coast-to-coast across the nation during the spring and summer of |
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| 8 | 9 | | 2015; and |
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| 9 | 10 | | WHEREAS, Calling himself the "Walking Aggie," this hardy |
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| 10 | 11 | | 58-year-old pilot from San Antonio plans to walk 2,673 miles from |
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| 11 | 12 | | California to Florida in 170 days, arriving in Daytona Beach on |
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| 12 | 13 | | August 17; in addition to taking on an arduous challenge, he is also |
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| 13 | 14 | | raising money for the Walking Aggie Endowed Ring Scholarship, which |
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| 14 | 15 | | will help Texas A&M students of limited means buy the coveted but |
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| 15 | 16 | | expensive Aggie Ring, which A&M students who have earned 90 credit |
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| 16 | 17 | | hours are eligible to wear; and |
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| 17 | 18 | | WHEREAS, Mr. Ball began his journey on the beach in La Jolla, |
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| 18 | 19 | | California, on March 1, 2015, and unlike many other cross-country |
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| 19 | 20 | | walkers, he is traveling alone without a support vehicle, carrying |
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| 20 | 21 | | everything he needs in a backpack and staying in motels, in his |
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| 21 | 22 | | tent, or with Aggie families or other people he meets along the way; |
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| 22 | 23 | | supporters and fellow Aggies can follow his progress by reading his |
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| 23 | 24 | | daily posts and viewing photographs on the Walking Aggie website; |
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| 24 | 25 | | he is also carrying a GPS device, which allows visitors to the |
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| 25 | 26 | | website to track his position moment by moment, in real time; and |
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| 26 | 27 | | WHEREAS, A 1978 graduate of Texas A&M, Mr. Ball spent 26 |
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| 27 | 28 | | years in the U.S. Air Force, serving as a C-5 Galaxy transport pilot |
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| 28 | 29 | | in Grenada, Panama, Bosnia, Afghanistan, and Iraq, as well as |
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| 29 | 30 | | completing a two-year stint piloting Air Force Two for vice |
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| 30 | 31 | | presidents Al Gore and Dick Cheney; he retired from the air force in |
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| 31 | 32 | | 2006 at the rank of colonel, and in civilian life, he continues to |
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| 32 | 33 | | serve his nation by training air force C-5 pilots in San Antonio; |
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| 33 | 34 | | and |
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| 34 | 35 | | WHEREAS, By undertaking this rigorous test of endurance, |
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| 35 | 36 | | determination, and shoe leather, Mr. Ball is simultaneously |
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| 36 | 37 | | helping students of his beloved alma mater and making himself a |
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| 37 | 38 | | source of pride and inspiration for Aggies everywhere; now, |
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| 38 | 39 | | therefore, be it |
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| 39 | 40 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas |
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| 40 | 41 | | Legislature hereby commend John Ball on his ambitious endeavor to |
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| 41 | 42 | | create the Walking Aggie Endowed Ring Scholarship and extend to him |
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| 42 | 43 | | sincere best wishes for good weather, safe travels, and great |
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| 43 | 44 | | success in his undertaking; and, be it further |
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| 44 | 45 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 45 | 46 | | prepared for Mr. Ball as an expression of high regard by the Texas |
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| 46 | 47 | | House of Representatives. |
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