Bill Text: VA HR228 | 2015 | Regular Session | Enrolled

Virginia House Resolution 228 (Prior Session Legislation)

Bill Title: Commending Jay Coakley.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2015-02-06 - Bill text as passed House (HR228ER) [HR228 Detail]

Download: Virginia-2015-HR228-Enrolled.html

HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 228 Commending Jay Coakley.

Agreed to by the House of Delegates, February 6, 2015

WHEREAS, Jay Coakley, founder of Ellie's Hats in South Riding, has worked diligently to raise awareness of childhood cancer research and support children with cancer in Northern Virginia and throughout the United States; and

WHEREAS, in 2013, Jay Coakley, a physical education teacher, began collecting hats for a five-year-old student named Ellie who had lost all of her hair as a result of chemotherapy and radiation treatments for cancer; and

WHEREAS, Jay Coakley collected more than 140 hats and donated most of them to other children with cancer at Inova Fairfax Hospital; he was moved to establish a nonprofit organization to continue bringing the same joy into children's lives; and

WHEREAS, with generous help from the community, Jay Coakley and Ellie's Hats have allowed children who have lost their hair as a result of chemotherapy and radiation to maintain their confidence and sense of self-expression; and

WHEREAS, during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month in September and throughout the year, Jay Coakley participates in events to further support children with cancer and their families; and

WHEREAS, Jay Coakley and the Giordano family of Leesburg collaborated on a campaign to obtain support for a gold ribbon childhood cancer awareness specialty license plate in the Commonwealth; and

WHEREAS, through his dedication to the cause, Jay Coakley has raised awareness of childhood cancer, leading to increased donations for childhood cancer research, which he hopes will lead to a cure for the disease; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, That Jay Coakley hereby be commended for his efforts to raise awareness of childhood cancer research and enhance the lives of children with cancer; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Jay Coakley as an expression of the House of Delegates' admiration for his leadership and generous support for young cancer patients in the Commonwealth and throughout the nation.