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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, The Texas State Aquarium in Corpus Christi is |
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| 6 | 7 | | celebrating the 30th anniversary of its designation as the Official |
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| 7 | 8 | | Aquarium of Texas in 2015; and |
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| 8 | 9 | | WHEREAS, A project launched by the Junior League of Corpus |
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| 9 | 10 | | Christi and the local Jaycees in 1969, the aquarium gained early |
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| 10 | 11 | | support from members of Leadership Corpus Christi Alumni, the Earl |
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| 11 | 12 | | C. Sams Foundation, and the Brown Foundation of Houston; the Texas |
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| 12 | 13 | | Legislature conferred the official designation in 1985, and the |
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| 13 | 14 | | aquarium opened to the public five years later; and |
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| 14 | 15 | | WHEREAS, The aquarium has flourished as a private, |
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| 15 | 16 | | not-for-profit organization, maintaining its operations through |
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| 16 | 17 | | general admissions, memberships, retail sales, event rentals, and |
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| 17 | 18 | | the generosity of donors; in addition to exhibitions, it sponsors |
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| 18 | 19 | | education, conservation, and wildlife rehabilitation; over the |
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| 19 | 20 | | years, it has worked to save protected, threatened, and endangered |
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| 20 | 21 | | species, and it has cared for countless stranded or injured |
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| 21 | 22 | | creatures, among them marine mammals, sea turtles, raptors, and |
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| 22 | 23 | | shorebirds; and |
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| 23 | 24 | | WHEREAS, In 2014, the aquarium opened the Nearshore |
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| 24 | 25 | | Experience, an immersive indoor exhibit, and it hosted the |
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| 25 | 26 | | groundbreaking for an expansion project that will more than double |
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| 26 | 27 | | the size of the institution; the institution also became one of only |
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| 27 | 28 | | six aquariums in the nation to achieve Charity Navigator's |
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| 28 | 29 | | prestigious four-star rating for good governance, sound fiscal |
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| 29 | 30 | | management, accountability, and transparency; and |
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| 30 | 31 | | WHEREAS, The Texas State Aquarium is dedicated to connecting |
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| 31 | 32 | | people with nature and promoting the conservation of the Gulf of |
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| 32 | 33 | | Mexico, and as it celebrates this significant milestone in its |
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| 33 | 34 | | history, it is moving forward with plans to become an even more |
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| 34 | 35 | | valuable asset to the community, the state, and the Gulf Coast |
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| 35 | 36 | | region; now, therefore, be it |
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| 36 | 37 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas |
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| 37 | 38 | | Legislature hereby congratulate the Texas State Aquarium on the |
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| 38 | 39 | | 30th anniversary of its designation as the Official Aquarium of |
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| 39 | 40 | | Texas and extend to all those associated with this noteworthy |
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| 40 | 41 | | organization sincere best wishes for continued success; and, be it |
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| 41 | 42 | | further |
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| 42 | 43 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 43 | 44 | | prepared for the aquarium as an expression of high regard by the |
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| 44 | 45 | | Texas House of Representatives. |
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