SJR 108

SJR108 192736-3 By Senators Hightower, Albritton, Allen, Beasley, Blackwell, Brewbaker, Bussman, Chambliss, Coleman-Madison, Dial, Dunn, Figures, Glover, Holley, Holtzclaw, Livingston, Marsh, McClendon, Melson, Orr, Pittman, Reed, Sanders, Sanford, Scofield, Shelnutt, Singleton, Smith, Smitherman, Stutts, Waggoner, Ward, Whatley and Williams RFD: First Read: 15-MAR-18 SJR108 SJR108 ENROLLED, SJR108, RECOGNIZING AND CONGRATULATING THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA ON BEING THE HOST OF THE 2018 XXIII WINTER OLYMPIC GAMES AND THE XII WINTER PARALYMPIC GAMES. WHEREAS, the XXIII Winter Olympic Games were held February 9 to February 25, 2018, and the XII Winter Paralympic Games will be held March 9 to March 18, 2018, in PyeongChang, the Republic of Korea; and WHEREAS, PyeongChang was selected as the host city for the 2018 Winter Olympic Games on July 6, 2011; and WHEREAS, the Winter Olympic Games were held in Korea for the first time in 30 years after the Seoul Olympic Games in 1988; and WHEREAS, the world's best athletes competed on Asia's center stage to launch new horizons of culture, environment, geography, and economy in winter sports and create a sustainable legacy for the Republic of Korea; and WHEREAS, athletes taking part in the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games competed in 102 events in 15 sport disciplines, and athletes competing in the XII Winter Paralympic Games will compete in the same number of events and SJR108 disciplines; this year marked the first Winter Olympic Games with more than 100 gold medals; also, PyeongChang is the stage for the greatest number of women's and mixed events in the history of the Winter Olympic Games and Winter Paralympic Games; and WHEREAS, the 2018 United States Olympic Team included approximately 240 athletes and featured a blend of veteran and new talent and fielded athletes in all 15 sport disciplines; and WHEREAS, the United States Paralympic Team will participate in the events of Alpine Skiing, Nordic Skiing, Sled Hockey, Snowboarding, and Wheelchair Curling in the 2018 Winter Paralympic Games; and WHEREAS, Christa Springs of Wetumpka, Alabama, and John Zimmerman, IV, of Homewood, Alabama, have the utmost distinction of serving as coaches in PyeongChang; and WHEREAS, Alabama Korean Education and Economic Partnership, [AKEEP], whose missions provides multicultural diversity education, bridging the differences for economic prosperity, offers Korean language education to Alabama's K-12 students; and WHEREAS, more than 26,000 Alabama Koreans reside in the State of Alabama, and more than 90 Korean companies along with the major Korean automotive manufacturer, Hyundai, SJR108 provide more than 36,000 employments in the State of Alabama; and WHEREAS, the Federation of Korean Associations in the SE USA represents more than 200,000 Korean Americans in Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina; now therefore, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA, BOTH HOUSES THEREOF CONCURRING, That we recognize and congratulate the Republic of Korea on being the host of the XXIII Winter Olympic Games and XII Winter Paralympic Games and wish the country success with the expectation that these events have contributed to peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Secretary of the Senate is authorized to make copies of this resolution available to the volunteers, members, staff, and organizations of Alabama Korea Education and Economic Partnership, the Federation of Korean Associations in the Southeastern United States and the Korea National Unification Council, Atlanta Chapter. SJR108 President and Presiding Officer of the Senate Speaker of the House of Representatives SJR108 Senate 15-MAR-18 I hereby certify that the within Senate Joint Resolution originated in and was adopted by the Senate. Patrick Harris, Secretary. House of Representatives Adopted: 21-MAR-18 By: Senator Hightower