HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 427
By Darby
A RESOLUTION to honor and recognize Carrie Willis for her meritorious service to the citizens of Tennessee.
WHEREAS, it is the pleasure of the members of this General Assembly to acknowledge and applaud those venerable Tennesseans who have devoted themselves to serving their fellow citizens; and WHEREAS, one such estimable individual is Carrie Willis, founder of the "Be the I in Kind" social impact initiative; and WHEREAS, Ms. Willis has served her community in various capacities, spreading the message of the importance of kindness; her community work includes four years of assiduous service with the anti-bullying campaign known as B.R.A.V.E., Building Respect and Values for Everyone, and more than 2,000 hours of community service; and WHEREAS, during her tenure with B.R.A.V.E., Carrie Willis has created anti-bullying programs at high schools and colleges, obtained the designation of "Bully Free" zone for a city pool, coordinated and led speeches for more than 10,000 students, founded the "Be the I in Kind" social impact initiative, founded a weekly anti-bullying segment on her school's news talk show, implemented a bully box in more than ten schools, and hosted Miss B.R.A.V.E. and Miss Springtime Pageant fundraisers; and WHEREAS, Ms. Willis has also assisted in granting eleven wishes and co-hosted four events raising $11,000 for the Make-a-Wish Foundation, provided twelve underprivileged teens with Christmas gifts through Salvation Army's Angel Tree Program, collected more than 2,500
cans of food for a local food drive, and served as a weekly youth literacy mentor, a weekly bingo caller at a local nursing home, an American Red Cross blood donor, and a Ronald McDonald House volunteer; and HJR0427
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WHEREAS, no stranger to awards and accolades, Carrie Willis was the recipient of the County Special Olympics Volunteer Award; and WHEREAS, Ms. Willis plans to become a teacher and instill the ideals of kindness in the youth, who are the future of the community; and WHEREAS, Carrie Willis truly embodies the volunteer spirit that earned Tennessee its nickname; through "Be the I in Kind" and B.R.A.V.E., she has done much to contribute to the well-being of her fellow citizens in various capacities; and WHEREAS, Ms. Willis is a public-spirited citizen of the highest order and most worthy of
our approbation; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED
TWELFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE, THE SENATE
CONCURRING, that we commend Carrie Willis for her manifold contributions to her fellow Tennesseans, extending our best wishes for continued success in all her future endeavors.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that an appropriate copy of this resolution be prepared for presentation with this final clause omitted from such copy and upon proper request made to
the appropriate clerk, the language appearing immediately following the State seal appear without House or Senate designation.
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