84R12654 BPG-D
By: Herrero H.R. No. 898
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The Texas State Aquarium in Corpus Christi is
celebrating the 30th anniversary of its designation as the Official
Aquarium of Texas in 2015; and
WHEREAS, A project launched by the Junior League of Corpus
Christi and the local Jaycees in 1969, the aquarium gained early
support from members of Leadership Corpus Christi Alumni, the Earl
C. Sams Foundation, and the Brown Foundation of Houston; the Texas
Legislature conferred the official designation in 1985, and the
aquarium opened to the public five years later; and
WHEREAS, The aquarium has flourished as a private,
not-for-profit organization, maintaining its operations through
general admissions, memberships, retail sales, event rentals, and
the generosity of donors; in addition to exhibitions, it sponsors
education, conservation, and wildlife rehabilitation; over the
years, it has worked to save protected, threatened, and endangered
species, and it has cared for countless stranded or injured
creatures, among them marine mammals, sea turtles, raptors, and
shorebirds; and
WHEREAS, In 2014, the aquarium opened the Nearshore
Experience, an immersive indoor exhibit, and it hosted the
groundbreaking for an expansion project that will more than double
the size of the institution; the institution also became one of only
six aquariums in the nation to achieve Charity Navigator's
prestigious four-star rating for good governance, sound fiscal
management, accountability, and transparency; and
WHEREAS, The Texas State Aquarium is dedicated to connecting
people with nature and promoting the conservation of the Gulf of
Mexico, and as it celebrates this significant milestone in its
history, it is moving forward with plans to become an even more
valuable asset to the community, the state, and the Gulf Coast
region; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas
Legislature hereby congratulate the Texas State Aquarium on the
30th anniversary of its designation as the Official Aquarium of
Texas and extend to all those associated with this noteworthy
organization sincere best wishes for continued success; and, be it
further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for the aquarium as an expression of high regard by the
Texas House of Representatives.