Senate Resolution 52

A RESOLUTION EXPRESSING APPRECIATION TO THE PEOPLE OF THE REPUBLIC OF ITALY FOR THEIR GENUINE CONCERN FOR AND CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE PEOPLE OF MISSISSIPPI IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING HURRICANE KATRINA.

WHEREAS, immediately following Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the Honorable Consul General of Italy in Miami, Gianfranco Colognato, and Italy's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, acting through the Office of His Excellency, the Italian Ambassador Sergio Vento in Washington, took massive steps to secure much needed relief supplies for the people of the great State of Mississippi; and

WHEREAS, the much needed supplies were assembled immediately, without hesitation, and flown directly from Italy to the United States by two Italian military C-130 aircrafts; and

WHEREAS, the supplies, nearly 40 tons of real help for the State of Mississippi, included baby food and formula, foodstuffs, cots, sheets, blankets, suction pumps, self-inflating rafts, chlorine tablets and, among other items, personal health kits sufficient to supply the needs of 12,000 to 15,000 Mississippians for 48 to 72 hours; and

WHEREAS, it is the desire of the Mississippi State Senate to officially thank Italy's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Italian Republic and its people for their genuine heartfelt concern:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, That we do hereby extend our sincerest thanks and respect to the Italian Republic, Italy's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Italian people, whose actions and contributions following the destruction wrought by Hurricane Katrina served to provide real help to the State of Mississippi, thereby immediately improving the lives of countless Mississippians during their time of great need.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be furnished to the Honorable Consul General of Italy in Miami, Gianfranco Colognato, Italy's Ministry of Foreign Affairs through the Office of His Excellency, the Italian Ambassador Sergio Vento in Washington, and to the members of the Capitol Press Corps.