WHEREAS, The mission of the Daffodil Festival is to focus national and regional attention on our local area as a place to live and visit, to give citizens of Pierce County a civic endeavor where "Fun in the Sun" comes alive, to foster civic pride, to give young people and organizations of the local area an opportunity to display their talents and abilities, to give voice to citizens' enthusiasm through parades, pageantry, and events, and to stimulate the economy through expenditures by and for the Festival and by visitors attracted during Festival Week; and

WHEREAS, The Festival began in 1926 as a modest garden party in Sumner and grew steadily each year until 1934, when flowers, which previously had been largely discarded in favor of daffodil bulbs, were used to decorate cars and bicycles for a short parade through Tacoma; and

WHEREAS, The Festival's 2016 events include the 83rd Annual Grand Floral Street Parade on April 11, 2016--winding its way from downtown Tacoma through the communities of Puyallup, Sumner, and Orting, and consisting of approximately 150 entries, including bands, marching and mounted units, and floats that are decorated with fresh-cut Daffodils numbering in the thousands--and will culminate with the Marine parade on April 12, 2016; and

WHEREAS, This year's Festival royalty includes Chelsea Lopez, Lincoln High School; Emily Oliver, Spanaway Lake High School; Emmalee Ford, Cascade Christian High School; Esther Wamagata, Clover Park High School; Faviola Colmenares, Washington High School; Jaycee Jenkins, Graham-Kapowsin High School; Jessica Nguyen, Henry Foss High School; Kaitlin Nguyen, Rogers High School; Kallie Sherwood, Emerald Ridge High School; Kelty Pierce, Puyallup High School; Kimberly Agfalvi, Bethel High School; Laura Cronic, Curtis High School; Lillie Williams, Stadium High School; Lindsey McClellan, Mount Tahoma High School; Mackenzie Macoy, Franklin Pierce High School; Maddie Meyer, White River High School; Melissa Kinney, Lakes High School; Sammy Roberts, Eatonville High School; Shannon Dooley, Orting High School; Shayla Chandler, Fife High School; Skylar Miller, Sumner High School; Tabitha Reynolds, Bonney Lake High School; and Tiauna Bill, Chief Leschi High School;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize and honor the many contributions made to our state by the Daffodil Festival and its organizers for the past eighty-three years; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be immediately transmitted by the Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives to the 2016 Daffodil Festival Officers and to the members of the 2016 Daffodil Festival Royalty.