On Thursday night June 7th, Mayor Haslam, citizens of Knoxville and Lady Vol fans from around the area attended a welcome home celebration for the University of Tennessee Lady Vols Softball Team at Tyson Park.

The Lady Vols won their first Southeastern Conference regular season softball title and were the #1 ranked team in the nation for much of this season. They played in their third consecutive Women's College World Series ending a tremendous season with them falling just short of the 2007 NCAA Division I National Championship on June 6, 2007 in Oklahoma City in a hard fought match with the University of Arizona. Mayor Haslam presented Ralph & Karen Weekly and the team a proclamation declaring the day UT Lady Vols Softball Team Day and encouraged all citizens to join in the observance.

The proclamation read as follows:

A PROCLAMATION
On Behalf Of The People Of
THE CITY OF KNOXVILLE
By His Honor The Mayor
BILL HASLAM
To Publicly Recognize

The University of Tennessee Lady Volunteers Softball Team

WHEREAS: The 2007 Lady Volunteers added a great chapter to the history of UT Softball with a tremendous season that ended with them falling just short of the 2007 NCAA Division I National Championship on June 6, 2007 in Oklahoma City; and
WHEREAS: The Lady Vols won their first Southeastern Conference regular season softball title; were the #1 ranked team in the nation for much of the season; played in their third consecutive Women's College World Series and brought great joy to their fans here in Knoxville, in Tennessee and across the nation; and
WHEREAS: The Lady Volunteers are led by Co-Head Coaches Ralph Weekly and Karen Weekly who have built the program into a national power and more importantly instilled in their players lessons that will benefit them throughout their lives; and
WHEREAS: The 2007 Lady Vols Softball team, like true teammates, worked together and played with tremendous skill and great heart in compiling a program-best 63-8 record on their journey to playing for the national championship; and
WHEREAS: The players on the UT Lady Vols Softball team are champions not only on the field but also in the classroom, in the community and in life and we are proud that the University of Tennessee and this great team are located in Knoxville.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Bill Haslam, Mayor of the City of Knoxville, Tennessee, do hereby proclaim June 7, 2007 to be:

UT Lady Vols Softball Team Day
in our city and urge all citizens to join in this observance.

Given under my hand and affixed with the Seal of the City of Knoxville, Tennessee, This Seventh Day of June, 2007