Bill Text: VA HJR135 | 2024 | Regular Session | Enrolled
Bill Title: Commending Claudia Byrd.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2024-02-15 - Bill text as passed House and Senate (HJ135ER) [HJR135 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2024-HJR135-Enrolled.html
WHEREAS, Claudia Byrd, director of the Bristol chapter of Speedway Children's Charities, was named Bristolian of the Year by the Bristol Herald Courier in 2023; and
WHEREAS, as director of the Bristol chapter of Speedway Children's Charities (SCC), Claudia Byrd leads an organization dedicated to raising funds to support the work of nonprofit organizations serving children and families in Southwest Virginia and Northeast Tennessee; and
WHEREAS, shortly after moving to Bristol in 1996, Claudia Byrd was selected by the SCC board of directors to manage the organization's Bristol chapter; since 1997, the chapter has raised and contributed approximately $20 million to more than 100 organizations and agencies; and
WHEREAS, Claudia Byrd and her husband, Jeff, established the Bristol chapter of SCC's main fundraising event, its annual Pinnacle Speedway in Lights at the Bristol Motor Speedway, which has become a beloved holiday tradition for families in the Bristol area, who come to enjoy an elaborate holiday light display assembled throughout the raceway property; and
WHEREAS, every year, Claudia Byrd and the Bristol chapter of SCC host the organization's "Night of Smiles" event to distribute hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of grants to local nonprofit organizations; and
WHEREAS, as a member of SCC's national board of directors, Claudia Byrd supports the efforts of the organization's other chapters, which are located in every city across the country where Speedway Motorsports operates; and
WHEREAS, with steadfast devotion and an unwavering commitment to her cause, Claudia Byrd has improved the quality of life for countless children and families throughout the Bristol region; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend Claudia Byrd for being named the Bristol Herald Courier's 2023 Bristolian of the Year; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Claudia Byrd as an expression of the General Assembly's admiration for her legacy of service in the Bristol community.
