WHEREAS, the United States of America takes great pride in its national symbols which represent the ideals that are cherished by our great nation; and

WHEREAS, the National Emblem of the United States was declared by the Second Continental Congress in 1782 to be the Bald Eagle, a truly magnificent species, which is unique to North America; and

WHEREAS, the bald eagle has since become a living symbol of America's spirit and freedom, and its image and symbolism have played a great part in American art, folklore, music, and architecture; and

WHEREAS, in the continental United States, the bald eagle population was reduced to endangered levels in the 1960s, but has since recovered significantly due to the ban on DDT, the passing of various environmental protection laws, and the efforts of many private entities; and

WHEREAS, one of these organizations is the American Eagle Foundation (AEF), a group of dedicated professionals who develop and operate bald eagle and environmental recovery programs under the leadership of Founder and President Al Louis Cecere; and

WHEREAS, one of the success stories of AEF is "Challenger," a fifteen-year-old bald eagle named in honor of the crew of the space shuttle Challenger, which was rescued and placed in the care of AEF after being released into the wild, and has since become the only eagle to be trained to free-fly into major sports stadiums during the presentation of the national anthem; and

WHEREAS, Challenger has performed at numerous sporting events including the baseball world series and professional and college football games, and has also performed on national television and other major events including a performance at the site of the World Trade Center in New York City; and

WHEREAS, Challenger has acted as an impressive ambassador for bald eagles, raising awareness for his threatened species and the need to protect America's eagles, natural resources, and environment; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2003, that this body hereby recognizes and commends the efforts of the American Eagle Foundation, its President, Al Louis Cecere, and Challenger the bald eagle, and extends to them its warmest aloha and best wishes for continued success in all future endeavors.

Report Title:

American Eagle Foundation