WHEREAS, The annual Daffodil Festival is a cherished tradition for the people of Pierce County and the Northwest; and
     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 "Daffodils and All That Jazz" come alive, fostering civic pride, to give young people and organizations of the local area an opportunity to display their talents and abilities, to give vent to citizens' enthusiasm in parades, pageantry, and events, and to stimulate the business economy through expenditures by and for the Festival and by visitors attracted during Festival Week; and
     WHEREAS, 2007 marks the Seventy-fourth annual Daffodil Festival; 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 2007 events are ongoing and will culminate in the April 21, 2007, Grand Floral Street Parade, winding its way from downtown Tacoma through the communities of Puyallup, Sumner, and Orting; and
     WHEREAS, This year's Festival royalty includes Queen Michele Wood, Sumner High School; and princesses Gabrielle Baldwin, Eatonville High School; Kaitlyn Broberg, Puyallup High School; Erin James, Emerald Ridge High School; Luxi Salmon, Rogers High School; Kalinda Nunnally, Orting High School; Jasmyne Walton, Wilson High School; Nicole Hicks, Bonney Lake High School; Karen Rogers, Graham Kapowsin High School; Vena Samoa, Washington High School; Lauren Edholm, Bethel High School; Sanya Dhermy, Stadium High School; Sharelle Pampo, Spanaway Lake High School; Myriah Johnson, Clover Park High School; Katrina LittleDog, Chief Leschi High School; LaToya Tidwell, Franklin Pierce High School; Stacey Michel, Henry Foss High School; Jillian Morris, Lakes High School; Lauren Fleming, Fife High School; Morgan Garlock, Curtis High School; Allessandra Jadwin, Lincoln High School; and Kirsten Gabbard, Mount Tahoma High School;
     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Senate recognize and honor the many contributions made to our state by the Daffodil Festival and its organizers for the past Seventy-four years; and
     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be immediately transmitted by the Secretary of the Senate to the 2007 Daffodil Festival Officers and to the members of the Festival royalty.