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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 nonprofit Wheelchairs for Warriors is holding |
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| 6 | 7 | | its Rolling Strong kickoff fund-raising event in Stafford on |
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| 7 | 8 | | September 11, 2017; and |
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| 8 | 9 | | WHEREAS, This outstanding organization was created to |
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| 9 | 10 | | provide customized, enhanced-mobility wheelchairs to veterans and |
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| 10 | 11 | | first responders who were severely disabled in the line of duty; and |
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| 11 | 12 | | WHEREAS, The base cost for such wheelchairs can run as high as |
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| 12 | 13 | | $30,000, while additional features and adjustments for the |
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| 13 | 14 | | individual user can bring the final price to as much as $100,000; |
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| 14 | 15 | | chairs will be tailored to the needs of each recipient, so that they |
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| 15 | 16 | | can be controlled, if necessary, by a puff of breath or by the |
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| 16 | 17 | | movement of the user's eyes, mouth, chin, head, or finger; and |
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| 17 | 18 | | WHEREAS, The first recipients of these state-of-the-art |
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| 18 | 19 | | products are Colin Doyle of the U.S. Marine Corps, who was paralyzed |
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| 19 | 20 | | from the chest down in Afghanistan, and retired U.S. Army Colonel |
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| 20 | 21 | | Rob Harmon, who was injured in a helicopter accident at Fort |
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| 21 | 22 | | Campbell; also receiving a custom-designed chair will be U.S. |
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| 22 | 23 | | Secret Service agent Garrett Fitzgerald, who was paralyzed from the |
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| 23 | 24 | | neck down in an automobile accident while protecting presidential |
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| 24 | 25 | | candidate Hillary Clinton in 2015; and |
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| 25 | 26 | | WHEREAS, Wheelchairs for Warriors benefits from the guidance |
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| 26 | 27 | | of executive director Crystal Laramore, the CEO of Laramore Media |
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| 27 | 28 | | Group, and from the expertise of clinical psychologist Dr. Deanna |
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| 28 | 29 | | Foster, who serves as president, U.S. Army veteran Heidi Hansing, |
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| 29 | 30 | | who leads the group's partnership development, and complex rehab |
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| 30 | 31 | | seating specialist Paul Morgan, who plays a vital role in |
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| 31 | 32 | | engineering the chairs; serving on the board are U.S. Navy veteran |
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| 32 | 33 | | Joe Amato and former U.S. Secret Service agent James Napolitano, |
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| 33 | 34 | | while former NFL quarterback Dan Pastorini holds honorary board |
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| 34 | 35 | | membership; and |
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| 35 | 36 | | WHEREAS, Americans owe a profound debt of gratitude to those |
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| 36 | 37 | | military personnel and first responders who put themselves at risk |
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| 37 | 38 | | to ensure our safety and security, and Wheelchairs for Warriors |
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| 38 | 39 | | promises to play a vital role in providing these brave men and women |
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| 39 | 40 | | with the support they so richly deserve; now, therefore, be it |
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| 40 | 41 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas |
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| 41 | 42 | | Legislature, 1st Called Session, hereby commemorate the Rolling |
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| 42 | 43 | | Strong kickoff fund-raiser for Wheelchairs for Warriors and extend |
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| 43 | 44 | | to all those associated with the organization sincere best wishes |
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| 44 | 45 | | for success in their important work; and, be it further |
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| 45 | 46 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 46 | 47 | | prepared for Wheelchairs for Warriors as an expression of high |
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| 47 | 48 | | regard by the Texas House of Representatives. |
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