H. Con. Res. 296 Agreed to September 22, 2008

One Hundred Tenth Congress 

of the 

United States of America 

AT THE SECOND SESSION 

Begun and held at the City of Washington on Thursday, 

the third day of January, two thousand and eight 

Concurrent Resolution 

Whereas heat stroke is a medical emergency that can be fatal 

if not properly and promptly treated, and 50 percent of those 

with heat stroke die from it; 

Whereas children absorb more heat from a hot environment because 

they have greater surface area-to-body mass ratio than adults; 

Whereas the smaller the child, the faster he or she can overheat; 

Whereas children and adolescents may have a reduced ability to 

dissipate heat through sweating; 

Whereas children and adolescents frequently do not have the physiological drive to drink enough fluids to replenish sweat losses 

during prolonged exercise; 

Whereas youth athletes may be more easily distracted by teammates and spectators when given the opportunity to rest and 

rehydrate; 

Whereas a recent study found that 70 percent of afterschool athletes 

arrive on the playing field already dehydrated; 

Whereas heat-induced illness is one of the most preventable sports 

ailments and parents, young athletes, and coaches need to understand the physiological factors that increase the risk for heatrelated illness and take steps to prevent it; 

Whereas 13-year-old Kendrick Fincher from Rogers, Arkansas, collapsed during an August pre-season football practice, was rushed 

to the hospital, and for the next 18 days his family waited 

anxiously for him to regain consciousness, tragically never 

regained consciousness, and died on August 25, 1995, from multisystem organ failure as a result of heat stroke; 

Whereas Kendrick’s parents, Rhonda and Mike Fincher, founded 

the Kendrick Fincher Memorial Foundation in honor of their 

son, with the aim to raise awareness of the potentially deadly 

consequences of dehydration for student athletes and to provide 

schools with the information and equipment needed to ensure 

other students do not suffer from heat stroke; 

Whereas the Kendrick Fincher Memorial Foundation has distributed more than 130,000 water bottles and heat illness prevention 

pamphlets to children and athletes throughout the United States; 

Whereas the Kendrick Fincher Memorial Foundation oversees consultation with school district athletic programs to ensure they 

have procedures in place to prevent heat illness and dehydration; 

Whereas the Kendrick Fincher Memorial Foundation provides heat 

stroke awareness and steps for prevention at local health fairs, 
H. Con. Res. 296—2 

community events, and the Annual Youth Run through ‘‘cool 

huts’’, misting stations, and free ice water; 

Whereas Gatorade Company joined forces with the National Football League to lead a nationwide ‘‘Beat the Heat’’ campaign 

aimed at educating parents and football coaches about the importance of hydration in order to keep athletes safe in the hot 

summer months; and 

Whereas Gatorade Company and the National Football League 

held Gatorade Donation Days at training camps to raise money 

to raise awareness of the Kendrick Fincher Memorial Foundation: 

Now, therefore, be it 

Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That— 

(1) it is the sense of Congress that— 

(A) National Heat Stroke Awareness Month provides 

an opportunity to educate the people of the United States 

about heat stroke; 

(B) the Kendrick Fincher Memorial Foundation should 

be applauded for its efforts in promoting awareness about 

heat stroke; and 

(C) policymakers, parents, coaches, student athletes, 

not-for-profit organizations, and other members of the 

community should work to increase awareness and prevention of heat stroke; and 

(2) Congress urges national and community organizations, 

businesses in the private sector, and the media, through 

National Heat Stroke Awareness Month to promote the awareness of heat stroke. 

Attest: 

Clerk of the House of Representatives. 

Attest: 

Secretary of the Senate.