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WHEREAS, Ryan Praskovich began playing the bagpipes in third grade after watching his father, Doug Praskovich, who co-founded the Pittsburgh Firefighters Memorial Pipe Band, play in the St. Patrick's Day Parade; and,
WHEREAS, the bagpipe is regarded as one of the hardest instruments to master and has five grade levels, grade 4 being the beginning level and moving up the ranks to grade 3, 2, 1 and finally Professional which is determined by the Eastern United Sates Bagpiping Association based on individual competitions each year; and,
WHEREAS, Ryan is currently a Grade One Bagpiper and plays for the Carnegie Mellon University Pipe Band, the Grade One Pipe Band in Toronto called the 78th Frazier Highlanders, and the Pittsburgh Firefighters Memorial Pipe Band; and,
WHEREAS, he has won many awards over the years in each grade level including the United States Junior Solo Bagpiping Championship in 2008, the title of Piper of the Day at the Ligonier Highland Games twice in one day, and on February 2, 2013, he was the winner of the Robert Gilchrist Challenge for bagpipers under the age of 22 at which he won airfare to Scotland to compete for the MacGregor Memorial Trophy held in August in Oban Scotland; and,
WHEREAS, Ryan Praskovich graduated from Bishop Canevin High School and is currently attending the University of Pittsburgh as an Information Science Major; and,
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NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh does hereby commend Ryan Praskovich for carrying on a family tradition and excelling in his efforts; and,
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh does hereby declare Saturday, March 23, 2013, to be "Ryan Praskovich Day" in the City of Pittsburgh.