Jimmy Buffett Day named in Florida as April 16th

Saturday, April 16 Named Jimmy Buffett Day in Florida
There's no doubt that Jimmy Buffett has been important to the state of Florida, whether professing his love for the Keys or supporting many environmental causes.

Representative Rick Kriesman, who represents Florida's 53rd district, has introduced a resolution in the state's House of Representatives declaring April 16, 2011 as Jimmy Buffett Day. The resolution was read for the first time on Monday and has been passed by the house.

It also is significant because Buffett's 2011 Welcome to Fin Land Tour kicks off that same night in Tampa.

The following is the text of the resolution, including many examples of Buffett's philanthropic activities.


House Resolution

A resolution recognizing April 16, 2011, as "Jimmy Buffett Day" in Florida.

WHEREAS, Jimmy Buffett is a world-class entertainer known for his support of charitable and environmental causes throughout the world, and

WHEREAS, following his graduation from the University of Southern Mississippi in 1969, Jimmy Buffett attempted to make his mark on the Nashville music scene before moving to Key West, where he gradually evolved into the easy-going inhabitant and troubadour of the islands revered by millions of adoring fans, whose music mixes country, folk, and coastal themes, and

WHEREAS, opening in 1985, Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville Store in Key West was the first of its kind, and since that time, Margaritaville Cafés and Stores have expanded to more than a dozen locations worldwide, with the Orlando Margaritaville Café being one of the franchise's highest-grossing locations,

WHEREAS, in 1981, Jimmy Buffett and Governor Bob Graham founded the Save the Manatee Club, one of the world's leading manatee preservation organizations, and

WHEREAS, in 1995, Jimmy Buffett used the proceeds from that year's concert tour to fund the Singing for Change Charitable Foundation, which provides grants to local charities that support children and families, the environment, and disenfranchised groups, and

WHEREAS, on November 23, 2004, Jimmy Buffett raised $3.4 million at his "Surviving the Storm" Hurricane Relief Concert in Orlando to provide relief for hurricane victims in Florida, Alabama, and the Caribbean, and

WHEREAS, on January 18, 2008, Jimmy Buffett performed a concert in Hong Kong that raised $63,000 for the Foreign Correspondents' Club Charity Fund, and

WHEREAS, on July 11, 2010, Jimmy Buffett organized and performed a concert for Gulf Coast residents to raise awareness of the effects of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and to support the livelihood of the area, and

WHEREAS, Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville Beach Hotel, located in Pensacola, opened in the summer of 2010 and employs approximately 200 Floridians, and

WHEREAS, Jimmy Buffett is also an author and one of only seven writers to have a number-one book on both the New York Times Fiction and Non-Fiction Best Sellers lists, NOW, THEREFORE,

Be It Resolved by the House of Representatives of the State of Florida:

That April 16, 2011, is recognized as "Jimmy Buffett Day" in Florida in appreciation of his charitable efforts, support of the environment, and positive economic impact in the state.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be presented to Jimmy Buffett as a tangible token of the sentiments expressed herein.

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