89R11601 KRT-D
By: McLaughlin H.C.R. No. 55
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, For more than a century, the South Texas community
of Poteet has been known across the Lone Star State as a source of
delicious strawberries and as the host of a renowned annual
strawberry festival; and
WHEREAS, In 1911, city founders Henry and Ida Mumme began to
grow strawberries in their kitchen garden, and within 10 years, the
community's strawberry crop had become one of its most successful
products; local citizens invited residents of nearby San Antonio to
sample the town's strawberries in 1921, and the San Antonio
Express-News ran a story headlined "Crimson Berries Beckon Hungry
Tourists to Poteet"; and
WHEREAS, Building on the city's reputation, the Poteet Rotary
Club staged the first Poteet Strawberry Festival in April 1948,
hoping to provide an incentive for veterans of World War II to
return to area farms; the club also promoted more careful packing of
the crop so that each buyer would receive a uniform pint, flat, or
crate of berries; and
WHEREAS, Over the course of the past 77 years, the festival
has grown to become one of the signature springtime events in South
Texas, drawing 100,000 visitors and contributing as much as $12
million to the local economy each year; in addition to the
strawberries themselves, including those sold at the
much-anticipated strawberry auction, the popular gathering
features live music, a parade, and a food show; and
WHEREAS, The event also serves as a means of supporting area
students; for more than two decades, the Poteet Strawberry Festival
Association has presented college scholarships to a host of
deserving recipients each year, and many of the churches, schools,
and civic organizations that participate in the festival donate
scholarships as well; and
WHEREAS, This sweet, juicy, and colorful fruit is a delight
to behold and to taste, and for many years, the citizens of Poteet
have made the strawberry both a source of prosperity and a cause for
celebration; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the 89th Legislature of the State of Texas
hereby redesignate Poteet as the official Strawberry Capital of
Texas; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That, in accordance with the provisions of Section
391.003(e), Government Code, this designation remain in effect
until the 10th anniversary of the date this resolution is finally
passed by the legislature.