Florida Senate - 2010 (NP) SR 2866 By Senator Justice 16-05230B-10 20102866__ 1 Senate Resolution 2 A resolution recognizing MORE HEALTH, Inc., for its 3 promotion of health and safety to K-12 students in 4 Hillsborough and Pinellas Counties. 5 6 WHEREAS, MORE HEALTH, Inc., is a 501(c)3 organization that 7 began in 1989 as a project of the Junior League of Tampa, and 8 WHEREAS, over the course of the past 20 years, MORE HEALTH, 9 Inc., has developed 23 individual lessons and educated more than 10 two million children in grades K-12 in public and private 11 schools in Hillsborough and Pinellas Counties, and 12 WHEREAS, the lessons taught by MORE HEALTH, Inc., are 13 developed using the results of needs assessments by local school 14 systems, health departments, hospitals, law enforcement 15 agencies, and community service agencies, and 16 WHEREAS, the lessons taught by MORE HEALTH, Inc., are 17 brought to life by enthusiastic instructors and include pre- and 18 post-visit lesson materials, with educational information 19 distributed to students to take home to encourage family 20 involvement in the adoption of healthy lifestyles, and 21 WHEREAS, classroom evaluations by MORE HEALTH, Inc., show a 22 98 percent approval rating for lesson content and visuals, 23 instructor presentations, and rapport, and 24 WHEREAS, generous sponsorships from more than 30 community 25 organizations allow MORE HEALTH, Inc., to offer its lessons free 26 of charge, with Tampa General Hospital, All Children’s Hospital, 27 and the Hillsborough and Pinellas County school districts 28 committed to a long-term partnership, and 29 WHEREAS, the lessons taught by MORE HEALTH, Inc., meet the 30 required Florida Next Generation Sunshine State Standards for 31 Science, Health, Language Arts, Mathematics and Physical 32 Education and provide students with many tools to cope with 33 life’s challenges to make the behavioral changes needed to stay 34 healthy and safe, and 35 WHEREAS, MORE HEALTH, Inc., Executive Director Karen Pesce 36 is the recipient of the 2007 National Health Educator of the 37 Year Award by the National Association of Health Education 38 Centers, the 2009 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 39 National Heroes Award, and the Governor’s Point of Light award 40 for her commitment to decreasing the childhood obesity epidemic, 41 and 42 WHEREAS, future goals of MORE HEALTH, Inc., include taking 43 its mission of “providing health and injury prevention education 44 to children and families” to the national level and reaching 45 students throughout the United States with MORE HEALTH lessons, 46 NOW, THEREFORE, 47 48 Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of Florida: 49 50 That MORE HEALTH, Inc., is recognized for its promotion of 51 health and safety to K-12 students in Hillsborough and Pinellas 52 Counties and Executive Director Karen Pesce is congratulated on 53 the recognition at the state and national level of her 54 outstanding leadership and innovation in health and safety 55 education and promotion. 56 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution, with 57 the Seal of the Senate affixed, be presented to Karen Pesce as a 58 tangible token of the sentiments of the Florida Senate.