05/01/2003 03:15 PM House MLV

HJR 14-NATIONAL WHEELCHAIR GAMES                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR LYNN  announced that  the next order  of business  would be                                                               
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION  NO. 14, Relating to urging  that the 2006                                                               
National Veterans Wheelchair Games be held in Anchorage, Alaska.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Number 0642                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MARK  GNADT, Staff  to Representative  Eric  Croft, Alaska  State                                                               
Legislature, presented HJR 14 on  behalf of Representative Croft,                                                               
sponsor.   He  explained that  these games  seem to  benefit many                                                               
people in the community and can  bring 550 to 600 participants as                                                               
well as  their families, trainers, and  so forth, for a  total of                                                               
perhaps  1,300  to  1,500  visitors to  the  Anchorage  area;  he                                                               
suggested these visitors  likely would travel to  other places in                                                               
Alaska.   He offered the expectation  that this will bring  in at                                                               
least a million dollars just for  lodging and food, based on $900                                                               
to  $1,000 per  participant.   Thus it  is expected  to bring  an                                                               
economic  benefit  as  well  as the  social  benefit  from  these                                                               
inspirational   games.      He    deferred   to   testifiers   on                                                               
teleconference.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Number 0792                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
SUSAN  MACAULAY, Alaska  Disabled Veteran  Sports Program,  Inc.,                                                               
offered her  belief that this could  benefit "all of us"  in more                                                               
ways than  one.  She  recalled attending events with  people from                                                               
all 50 states plus Puerto Rico, and  said it made her feel a part                                                               
of  the   United  States,  since   she  was  being   granted  the                                                               
opportunity to do  the same events that other  veterans could do.                                                               
She suggested that  bringing these wheelchair games  to Alaska is                                                               
a big  way of  letting all  Alaskan veterans  feel that  they are                                                               
part of the veterans throughout the nation.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Number 0936                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
BARBARA HOPKINS,  Alaska Disabled  Veteran Sports  Program, Inc.,                                                               
noted that  she was one  of four  founders of the  sports program                                                               
and has  dedicated herself to  helping disabled  veterans, mainly                                                               
in memory  of her son,  a disabled  veteran who is  now deceased.                                                               
She lauded these  veterans for their courage,  and suggested that                                                               
bringing the  wheelchair games to  Alaska would  provide outreach                                                               
and  an example  to other  veterans  who perhaps  don't have  the                                                               
courage yet.  She noted that  Alaskan veterans must go to Seattle                                                               
for treatment  and that certain  funds aren't available  to them.                                                               
Pointing out that the wheelchair  games have 17 different events,                                                               
she mentioned fundraising, donations, and grants.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Number 1083                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR LYNN asked  whether anyone else wished to  testify; he then                                                               
closed public testimony.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR LYNN spoke  in strong support of HJR 14,  noting that he is                                                               
a retired military person and Vietnam veteran.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Number 1116                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE WEYHRAUCH moved to report  HJR 14 out of committee                                                               
with  individual  recommendations  [and forthcoming  zero  fiscal                                                               
note].                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR LYNN indicated that without  objection, HJR 14 was reported                                                               
from  the  House  Special Committee  on  Military  and  Veterans'                                                               
Affairs.