Honoring the members of the Satin Slipper New Year's Brigade for their heroism in rescuing a woman from the Delaware River.

WHEREAS, The Satin Slipper New Year's Brigade was established in 1958 and has a long and impressive history; and

WHEREAS, On Sunday, December 15, 2002, the Satin Slipper fancy brigade was rehearsing its theme,

"The Future Is Now,

" in preparation for its New Year's performance; and

WHEREAS, The brigade had just finished drilling around noon by Pier 80, at Delaware Avenue and Mifflin Street, near the cruise ship United States, when a member, John Otto, spotted a woman in the chilly Delaware River; and

WHEREAS, John Riecky, a Satin Slipper founder, former captain and member of the Mummers Hall of Fame, works at Pier 80 as a longshoreman and oversees the unloading of ship equipment, so he knew where to find a life preserver and immediately threw it to the woman; and

WHEREAS, Otto and Riecky began to pull to woman out of the river, and with the assistance of about ten other brigade members and various police officers and paramedics, they were able to finally lift the woman to safety; and

WHEREAS, The woman was soaked, freezing, and in shock as she was brought onto the pier, and she was immediately transported to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, and certainly would have not survived much longer if not for the courage and quick thinking of the Satin Slipper Brigade; now therefore

RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That we honor the members of the Satin Slipper's New Year's Brigade for their heroism in rescuing a woman from the Delaware River; and

FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to the Satin Slipper New Year's Brigade as evidence of the sincere respect and admiration of this legislative body.

End