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| 1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION | ||||||
| 2 | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of | ||||||
| 3 | Representatives wish to commend Larry Simotes of Minooka for | ||||||
| 4 | his many contributions to the local community; and
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| 5 | WHEREAS, Larry Simotes was born in Joliet on February 17, | ||||||
| 6 | 1959; he and his four siblings, Brian, Diana, Mark, and Nick, | ||||||
| 7 | are the children of Nicholas, a U.S. Marine private first | ||||||
| 8 | class, and Doris Simotes; and
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| 9 | WHEREAS, Larry Simotes was raised in Joliet, attending St. | ||||||
| 10 | Patrick's Grade School; he graduated from Minooka Community | ||||||
| 11 | High School in 1977, and he remains the school's record holder | ||||||
| 12 | for most single-season points earned per game for basketball; | ||||||
| 13 | he continued playing basketball while attending Lewis | ||||||
| 14 | University; and
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| 15 | WHEREAS, Upon graduating from Lewis University, Larry | ||||||
| 16 | Simotes began his professional career as a teacher; he then | ||||||
| 17 | opened Simotes Motors in Minooka in 1986; and
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| 18 | WHEREAS, Larry Simotes married his high school sweetheart, | ||||||
| 19 | Lisa, and they raised their three children, Grant, Nina, and | ||||||
| 20 | Mac, in Minooka; his commitment and dedication to their | ||||||
| 21 | upbringing played an instrumental role in all three children | ||||||
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| 1 | playing college sports; and
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| 2 | WHEREAS, Larry Simotes has not only been a great son, | ||||||
| 3 | sibling, husband, and father but has also been a prominent | ||||||
| 4 | role model in the community, coaching the Minooka Junior High | ||||||
| 5 | School baseball team for 18 years, winning five state | ||||||
| 6 | championships during his tenure; and
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| 7 | WHEREAS, Larry Simotes has quietly given back to the | ||||||
| 8 | community for most of his life, with both his money and his | ||||||
| 9 | time; for instance, he annually awards athletic scholarships | ||||||
| 10 | to Minooka Community High School students, allowing graduates | ||||||
| 11 | to continue their athletic dreams after high school; and
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| 12 | WHEREAS, Larry Simotes has always supported dog shelters | ||||||
| 13 | and admired veterans due to his father's service; as a result, | ||||||
| 14 | he and other generous sponsors, in coordination with the | ||||||
| 15 | Village of Minooka, created the Veterans Dog Park as a gift to | ||||||
| 16 | the local community; and
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| 17 | WHEREAS, The Veterans Dog Park, which will honor veterans | ||||||
| 18 | while providing an incredible outdoor space for families and | ||||||
| 19 | their pets to enjoy, will open in Minooka on May 25, 2024; | ||||||
| 20 | therefore, be it
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| 21 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | ||||||
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| 1 | HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | ||||||
| 2 | we commend Larry Simotes for his donation of land that enabled | ||||||
| 3 | the creation of the Veterans Dog Park in Minooka, and we thank | ||||||
| 4 | him for his many selfless contributions to the local | ||||||
| 5 | community; and be it further
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