CORPUS CHRISTI, TX — Today, Senator Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa received the Gold Star Award from the Texas State Aquarium, its highest honor, in recognition of his contributions to the Aquarium over the past several legislative sessions.

As Vice Chair of Senate Finance, in 2015 Senator Hinojosa was able to help the Aquarium receive $9 million for the Caribbean Journey expansion, which nearly doubled the Aquarium's indoor exhibit space. Along with the Coastal Bend delegation, he then helped build on this investment in 2019 by securing $500,000 for the construction of the Aquarium's new Wildlife Rescue Center. The delegation continued their support for the Aquarium this session by obtaining $500,000 for the operation of the Rescue Center and a dedicated $3 million for the Aquarium's Wildlife Research with federal stimulus dollars passed by the Biden administration.

Senator Hinojosa issued the following statement:

"The work done by the Texas State Aquarium is nothing short of amazing. We all saw the incredible impact they had during Winter Storm Uri in helping protect and rehabilitate sea turtles, but their impact on our community has not stopped there. Their new state-of-the-art Rescue Center will both provide life-saving care to coastal wildlife and educate veterinary students.

Beyond the direct impact the Rescue Center will have on wildlife, it is also a teaching tool for visitors to learn about what they can do to protect our birds and sea life. Thousands of people visit the Aquarium every year and have the opportunity to learn about coastal wildlife and understand our role in preserving and protecting this critical ecosystem.

I am honored to receive this recognition from the Aquarium, but the true honors belong with those doing this important work for our community. I will continue to advocate for the Aquarium to ensure they are able to maintain their critical contributions to our Coastal Bend community."

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