| 1 | House Resolution |
| 2 | A resolution recognizing Leon Larson and Tetoee Howard, |
| 3 | Florida's 2004 Big and Little Brother of the Year. |
| 4 |
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| 5 | WHEREAS, Leon Larson and Tetoee Howard, both of |
| 6 | Gainesville, have been named Florida's 2004 Big and Little |
| 7 | Brother of the Year, their 6-year relationship having been |
| 8 | singled out as "exemplary" by the Big Brother/Big Sister |
| 9 | organization, and |
| 10 | WHEREAS, as a 10-year-old, Tetoee, legally blind, who had |
| 11 | always wanted to learn to waterski, was a perfect match for |
| 12 | Leon, a competition waterskier who had worked with partially |
| 13 | sighted athletes and who teaches African drumming at Santa Fe |
| 14 | Community College; and today Tetoee, now 16, is an excellent |
| 15 | waterskier and African hand drummer, and |
| 16 | WHEREAS, Tetoee has become so proficient with the drums |
| 17 | that he's been invited to perform with multiple groups, and his |
| 18 | solo performance opening the 2003 celebration of Black History |
| 19 | Month at his high school was so well-received that he was asked |
| 20 | to return again this year, and |
| 21 | WHEREAS, noting that the two enjoy hiking, swimming, |
| 22 | movies, theater, and other "fun" activities together, Leon, 64, |
| 23 | is quick to point out the young man's intelligence, keen memory, |
| 24 | quick wit, and insatiable curiosity and credits the discipline |
| 25 | of waterskiing and drumming with boosting Tetoee's self- |
| 26 | confidence and landing him on the school honor roll and the |
| 27 | track and field team for disabled students, and |
| 28 | WHEREAS, on his part, the younger man finds Leon to be the |
| 29 | model Big Brother, fun to be around, and "a good person to talk |
| 30 | to," and, recalling that his father once told him that if a |
| 31 | person has one best friend in life he is doing good, Tetoee |
| 32 | states confidently that he has found his best friend, NOW, |
| 33 | THEREFORE, |
| 34 |
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| 35 | Be It Resolved by the House of Representatives of the State of |
| 36 | Florida: |
| 37 |
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| 38 | That the House of Representatives congratulates Leon Larson |
| 39 | and Tetoee Howard as possessors of an enviable, enduring |
| 40 | relationship, "two old friends, joking and laughing" together, |
| 41 | and honors the pair as Florida's 2004 Big and Little Brother of |
| 42 | the Year. |
| 43 | BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be |
| 44 | presented to Big Brother Leon Larson and to Little Brother |
| 45 | Tetoee Howard as a tangible token of the sentiments expressed |
| 46 | herein. |