WHEREAS, Hite's Clothing, a family-owned small business in downtown Clarksville, has offered high-quality apparel and accessories to generations of customers while supporting efforts to enhance the quality of life in the community for 50 years; and

WHEREAS, Hite's Clothing was founded in 1974 by brothers Linwood and Dale Hite and became one of Clarksville's go-to stops for men's, women's, and children's fashion, appealing to a broad range of styles and tastes; at one point, the business had expanded to a total of five locations, including three in Virginia and two in North Carolina; and

WHEREAS, over the course of its history, Hite's Clothing has been the quintessential family business, with Linwood and Dale Hite employing their wives, children, siblings, nieces, nephews, and cousins; and

WHEREAS, in 2014, Dale Hite turned Hite's Clothing over to his niece, Heather Hite Garnett, who has maintained the store's reputation for excellence and long traditions of generous outreach and community leadership in Clarksville; and

WHEREAS, Linwood Hite was part of a merchant's group that established two popular local events, LakeFest and a Christmas open house, while Dale Hite helped bring a YMCA location to Clarksville and was a youth athletics coach in the area for more than 30 years; and

WHEREAS, Heather Hite Garnett has upheld Hite's Clothing's commitment to community stewardship and was instrumental in co-founding the Lake Life Live summer concert series in 2017; and

WHEREAS, Heather Hite Garnett is also the co-chair of the Mecklenburg County Cancer Association and the Cindy Hite Memorial Golf Tournament, which honors Dale Hite's late wife, and has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to support cancer research and treatment; and

WHEREAS, in addition, Heather Hite Garnett is an advocate for historic downtown Clarksville and has been seeking accreditation for the community through the Main Street America preservation program; and

WHEREAS, Heather Hite Garnett, Linwood Hite, and Dale Hite have all served on the Clarksville Lake Country Chamber of Commerce, and Dale currently serves as president of a local economic development association, with Heather serving as secretary; and

WHEREAS, in 2010, Hite's Clothing was named as Clarksville's Business of the Year by the Clarksville Lake Country Chamber of Commerce, and both Heather Hite Garnett and Dale Hite have received the Citizen of the Year award and the Kathleen Walker Lifetime Achievement Award; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, That Hite's Clothing hereby be commended on the occasion of its 50th anniversary of service to the Clarksville community; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Heather Hite Garnett, owner of Hite's Clothing, as an expression of the House of Delegates' admiration for the store's legacy of contributions to the residents of Clarksville.