IV 
110TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. CON. RES. 296 
Expressing support for the designation of August 2008 as ‘‘National Heat 
Stroke Awareness Month’’ to raise awareness and encourage prevention 
of heat stroke. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 13, 2008 
Mr. BOOZMAN (for himself, Mr. SNYDER, Mr. ROSS, and Mr. BERRY) sub-
mitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the 
Committee on Energy and Commerce 
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 
Expressing support for the designation of August 2008 as 
‘‘National Heat Stroke Awareness Month’’ to raise 
awareness and encourage prevention of heat stroke. 
Whereas heat stroke is a true medical emergency that can be 
fatal if not properly and promptly treated, and 50 per-
cent 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 over-
heat; 
Whereas children and adolescents may have a reduced ability 
to dissipate heat through sweating; 
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•HCON 296 IH 
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 heat-related illness and take steps to prevent 
it; 
Whereas 13-year-old Kendrick Fincher from Rogers, Arkan-
sas, collapsed during an August pre-season football prac-
tice, was rushed to the hospital, and for the next 18 days 
his family waited anxiously for him to regain conscious-
ness; 
Whereas Kendrick Fincher tragically never regained con-
sciousness, and died on August 25, 1995, from multi-sys-
tem organ failure as a result of heat stroke; 
Whereas Kendrick’s parents, Rhonda and Mike Fincher, 
pressured their local school district to change its policies 
and procedures to provide adequate hydration during all 
athletic activities; 
Whereas Kendrick’s parents also founded the Kendrick 
Fincher Memorial Foundation to raise awareness of the 
potentially deadly consequences of dehydration for stu-
dent athletes and to provide schools with the information 
and equipment needed to ensure other students do not 
suffer from heat stroke; 
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•HCON 296 IH 
Whereas the Kendrick Fincher Memorial Foundation has dis-
tributed 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 en-
sure 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, 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 coach-
es about the importance of hydration in order to keep 
athletes safe in the hot summer months; 
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; and 
Whereas as a result of the Kendrick Fincher Memorial Foun-
dation’s efforts, Rhonda Fincher, motivated by the belief 
no other parent should experience the heartache of a pre-
ventable death of his or her child, successfully changed 
many school athletic policies and procedures at the local, 
State, and national level: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
concurring), That— 
(1) it is the sense of Congress that— 
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•HCON 296 IH 
(A) National Heat Stroke Awareness 
Month provides an opportunity to educate the 
people of the United States about heat stroke; 
(B) all Americans should applaud the 
Kendrick Fincher Memorial Foundation 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 in-
crease awareness and prevention of heat stroke; 
and 
(2) Congress urges national and community or-
ganizations, businesses in the private sector, and the 
media, through National Heat Stroke Awareness 
Month to promote the awareness of heat stroke. 
Æ 
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