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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
CONGRATULATING DREAMER AND ALLIES RUN (DAR)
WHEREAS, Back of the Yards residents and local leaders, guided by the vision of Hugo Dominguez and the support of Holy Cross/IHM Parish, founded Dreamers and Allies Run (DAR) in 2012; and
WHEREAS, DAR is an all-volunteer scholarship fundraising effort whose purpose is to raise funds to assist undocumented college students from the Back of the Yards and surrounding communities as they pursue higher education; and
WHEREAS, when DAR was created, undocumented students in the County of Cook were not eligible for local, state, or federal financial aid for college; and
WHEREAS, undocumented students’ inability to pay for college tuition and expenses was and continues to be a near unsurmountable barrier to accessing post-secondary education opportunities; and
WHEREAS, DAR was created to address the impact of unjust, unreasonable, and unconscionable financial aid laws, regulations, and policies for undocumented students - students who many times do not know any other country but the United States and were raised in our American educational system; and
WHEREAS, the Back of the Yards has a rich tradition of supporting, encouraging, and accompanying youth in their education, particularly through college scholarships; and
WHEREAS, guided by that rich tradition, DAR set up a system by which it raises funds for its scholarship through the Chicago Marathon and other organized runs; and
WHEREAS, DAR invites community members to join Team DAR, fundraise, and represent Team DAR at runs; and
WHEREAS, DAR awards 100% of the proceeds of the donations to the DAR scholarship recipients; and
WHEREAS, DAR has raised $100,000 in college scholarships since 2012; and
WHEREAS, while there have been efforts to assist undocumented students on the state and city levels, DAR is committed to continuing its scholarship fundraising efforts until undocumented students are offered the same opportunities to access college state and federal financial aid as other college students; and
WHEREAS, DAR volunteers Hugo Domínguez, Edy Domínguez, Fredy Domínguez, Marciano Domínguez, Adriana Velázquez, Quintiliano Rios, Mayra Hernandez, and José Alonso have provided countless hours of selfless service and leadership to the DAR effort; and
WHEREAS, the DAR effort is a successful, innovative, and exceptional model of people directly impacted by an issue and their allies organizing and coming together to find a solution to a challenge that negatively impacts them and their community; and
WHEREAS, DAR, its runners, and donors have played a vital and meaningful role in the lives of undocumented students from the Back of the Yards and surrounding communities.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, The Cook County Board President and the Cook County Board of Commissioners do hereby congratulate the volunteers and supporters of Dreamer and Allies Run on its accomplishments; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT, this text be spread upon the proceedings of this Honorable Body and that a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Dreamer and Allies Run in honor of its outstanding achievements.
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