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 a "Daffodil Paradise" 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 2017 events include the 84th Annual Grand Floral Street Parade on April 8, 2017—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 23, 2017; and

WHEREAS, This year's Festival royalty includes Naravie Phaisan, Lincoln High School; Mabel Thompson, Spanaway Lake High School; Vilma Alvarado Garcia, Clover Park High School; Jalin Whitemarsh, Washington High School; Serena Bolden, Graham-Kapowsin High School; Thipsuda Srinakrung, Henry Foss High School; Meghan LaLiberte, Rogers High School; Jane McDonald, Emerald Ridge High School; Macy Nuber, Puyallup High School; Brianna Bryant, Bethel High School; Haley Leeper, Curtis High School; Bridget Gray, Stadium High School; Leilani Espino, Mount Tahoma High School; Amanda Fisher, Franklin Pierce High School; Courtney Gelmini, White River High School; Christine Lew, Lakes High School; Sarah Litzenberger, Eatonville High School; Marin Sasaki, Orting High School; Kate Meinecke, Fife High School; Elizabeth Larios, Sumner High School; Heather Haugen, Bonney Lake High School; and Tallia Campbell, 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-four 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 2017 Daffodil Festival Officers and to the members of the 2017 Daffodil Festival Royalty.