House Concurrent Resolution 56

(As Adopted by House and Senate)

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION COMMENDING AND CONGRATULATING DR. CLAY HAYS OF JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI, FOR HIS SELECTION AS THE GRAND MARSHAL OF THE ANNUAL JACKSON CHRISTMAS PARADE, AND RECOGNIZING HIM FOR HIS SIGNIFICANT PROFESSIONAL AND CIVIC CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE CITY OF JACKSON AND THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI IN PROMOTING BETTER HEALTH FOR ALL MISSISSIPPIANS.

WHEREAS, Dr. J. Clay Hays, Jr., a Jackson physician, served as the Grand Marshal of the annual Jackson Christmas Parade that was held on December 4, 2010, and he used his time in the limelight to promote healthier living in the city; and

WHEREAS, the theme of the parade was "Have a holly, jolly, healthy holiday," so instead of riding seated in an open car, Dr. Hays rode a stationary bicycle on a float to deliver a message of continuing a healthy lifestyle, even through the holidays; and

WHEREAS, a Jackson native, Dr. Hays is a cardiologist at the Jackson Heart Clinic, which his father helped found 35 years ago, and he serves as a member of the Governor's Task Force on Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention, a member of the Mississippi Tobacco Control Advisory Council, and Chairman of the Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Hays has used his role with Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership to make the Jackson area more bicycle friendly, and he is pushing the idea of a network of multipurpose trails through Jackson, Ridgeland, Flowood and Canton in order to promote healthier living; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Hays received his bachelor's degree cum laude from the University of Mississippi in Oxford and his medical degree from the University of Mississippi School of Medicine, followed by his residency in internal medicine at the Mayo Graduate School of Medicine and his fellowship in cardiology at the University of Mississippi School of Medicine; and

WHEREAS, an advocate for child exercise and obesity prevention, Dr. Hays is a member of the board of You Gotta Move, and he has served on the board of Mission First, a nonprofit inner city mission, health and legal clinic; and

WHEREAS, it is the policy of this Legislature to recognize and commend outstanding Mississippians such as Dr. Hays, whose many significant contributions to promoting healthier lifestyles and a better quality of life, and being active in a number of initiatives to promote his hometown and state, have made the State of Mississippi a better place to live:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE SENATE CONCURRING THEREIN, That we do hereby commend and congratulate Dr. J. Clay Hays, Jr., of Jackson, Mississippi, for his selection as the Grand Marshal of the annual Jackson Christmas Parade that was held on December 4, 2010, and recognize him for his significant professional and civic contributions to the City of Jackson and the State of Mississippi in promoting better health for all Mississippians.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be furnished to Dr. Hays and to the members of the Capitol Press Corps.