HR 17

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     House Resolution 17EX
     By: Representatives Adeyina of the 110th, Kendrick of the 95th, Mitchell of the 88th, Beckles
     of the 96th, Carter of the 93rd, and others
                                 A RESOLUTION
1 Commending the Self Enhancement Inc. (SEI) Bigger Than Basketball Camp in Atlanta,
2 Georgia; and for other purposes.
3 WHEREAS, Self Enhancement Inc. (SEI), founded in 1981 by community leader Tony
4 Hopson in Portland, Oregon, has served thousands of young people through academic
5 support, mentorship, leadership development, and community engagement programs
6 designed to empower youth to realize their full potential; and
7 WHEREAS, the SEI Bigger Than Basketball Camp uses the game of basketball as a platform
8 to teach life skills such as discipline, teamwork, decision-making, conflict resolution, and
9 leadership while promoting academic excellence and positive character development; and
10 WHEREAS, in 2015, Atlanta community leaders Rodney Lumpkins and Crescentia Dixon
11 began working with SEI to bring the Bigger Than Basketball Camp to Georgia, raising funds
12 and building community support in 2016, leading to the first Atlanta camp in the summer of
13 2017; and
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14 WHEREAS, Crescentia Dixon, an Atlanta resident and SEI Portland alumna, has served as
15 a co-leader of the Atlanta program since its inception, partnering with Rodney Lumpkins to
16 plan, staff, and deliver the camp each year; and
17 WHEREAS, Self Enhancement Inc. leaders Anthony Deloney, Director of Business
18 Development, and Richard Fortson, Staff Development Manager, have traveled from
19 Portland, Oregon, to Atlanta each summer since 2017 to help train staff, mentor students, and
20 ensure the program's continued excellence and alignment with SEI's national mission; and
21 WHEREAS, for more than a decade, the SEI Bigger Than Basketball Camp in Atlanta has
22 served 80 to 100 middle school students each summer, providing mentorship, leadership
23 training, educational enrichment, and community support through partnerships such as Nike
24 and the National Basketball Players Association; and
25 WHEREAS, the program is strengthened not only by adult leadership but also by the
26 commitment of young leaders who have grown alongside the camp, including Mya
27 Lumpkins, Nicholas Lumpkins, Khali Warren, and KhaVae Warren, who have volunteered
28 and served in various capacities since the camp's inception as classroom assistants, on-court
29 leaders, mentors, and coaches; and
30 WHEREAS, Rodney Lumpkins, an Atlanta and Gwinnett County youth advocate for more
31 than 18 years and advisor to the Snellville Youth Council, and Crescentia Dixon, SEI alumna
32 and community leader, exemplify servant leadership through their continued dedication to
33 mentoring young people and strengthening communities; and
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34 WHEREAS, the SEI Bigger Than Basketball Camp represents the spirit of service,
35 mentorship, and opportunity that prepares young Georgians to become responsible citizens
36 and future leaders.
37 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that
38 the members of this body commend Self Enhancement Inc. and the SEI Bigger Than
39 Basketball Camp in Atlanta, Georgia, for their outstanding contributions to youth
40 development and community leadership and extend best wishes for continued success.
41 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized
42 and directed to make appropriate copies of this resolution available for distribution to Self
43 Enhancement Inc., Tony Hopson, Trent Aldridge, Crescentia Dixon, Rodney Lumpkins,
44 Leslie Lumpkins, Anthony Deloney, Richard Fortson, Mya Lumpkins, Nicholas Lumpkins,
45 Khali Warren, KhaVae Warren, and the SEI Bigger Than Basketball Atlanta leadership team.
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