--- title: SR 714. Cole, Jesse and Emily; honor collection: bills id: 2025-2026/sr714 cite_as: SR 714, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr714 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr714.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr714/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72900 date: 2026-02-06 status: passed corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13 license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice. up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr713.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr715.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 94 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr714.md?full=1 bill_number: SR 714 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: Senate bill_type: resolution status_date: 2026-02-06 last_action: Senate Read and Adopted sponsors: - Blake Tillery - Kay Kirkpatrick - Ben Watson - Derek Mallow - Billy Hickman - Jason Anavitarte - Freddie Sims - Larry Walker text_version: Enrolled has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SR714/2025 upstream_id: 2110023 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - foster care - Savannah Bananas - Banana Ball - Senate resolution - charitable recognition --- # SR 714. Cole, Jesse and Emily; honor ## Text Senate Resolution 714 By: Senators Tillery of the 19th, Kirkpatrick of the 32nd, Watson of the 1st, Mallow of the 2nd, Hickman of the 4th and others A RESOLUTION Honoring and celebrating Jesse and Emily Cole, Banana Ball, and Bananas Foster; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, the State of Georgia recognizes the extraordinary success and public support of the Savannah Bananas and Banana Ball; and WHEREAS, on February 25, 2016, Jesse and Emily Cole created a national phenomenon– establishing The Savannah Bananas; and WHEREAS, the Savannah Bananas have sold out every game since 2018, becoming one of the great sports success stories and being recognized nationally as the "Greatest Show In Sports"; and WHEREAS, using their iconic sports platform, Jesse and Emily Cole, who already serve as foster parents, created Bananas Foster; and WHEREAS, Bananas Foster is a nonprofit dedicated to bringing families together by celebrating the foster care community while educating and inspiring others to get involved; and WHEREAS, Bananas Foster, the official nonprofit of Banana Ball, selects a "Bananas Foster Family" (BFF) for a backstage experience at each Banana Ball game; and WHEREAS, due to the iconic presence and platform of the Savannah Bananas, the need for foster care parents has been featured and promoted in media such as the Today show, ABC News, CBS News, Sports Illustrated, and other national outlets; and WHEREAS, the State of Georgia has 9,500 children in foster care, and a need for additional foster parents clearly exists; and WHEREAS, the national attention Jesse and Emily Cole, Banana Ball, and Bananas Foster have engineered has allowed a spotlight to be shown on the foster family need in Georgia and across the United States. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the members of this body honor Jesse and Emily Cole, Banana Ball, and Bananas Foster; celebrate the achievements and success of their campaign to raise awareness of the need for foster care parents; and express their gratitude for the investment and focus on the foster care community and the needs of children in Georgia and nationwide. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Senate is authorized and directed to make appropriate copies of this resolution available for distribution to Jesse and Emily Cole, Banana Ball, and Bananas Foster. ## Summaries written by Georgia Commons The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the resolution. Quote the text, not the summary. A Georgia Senate resolution honors Jesse and Emily Cole, the founders of the Savannah Bananas and Banana Ball, for creating Bananas Foster, a nonprofit raising awareness about foster care needs. ### Plain-language summary This is a ceremonial resolution passed by the Georgia Senate recognizing Jesse and Emily Cole, creators of the Savannah Bananas baseball team and its Banana Ball format, along with their nonprofit Bananas Foster. The resolution notes that the Coles are foster parents themselves and started Bananas Foster to celebrate the foster care community and encourage others to become foster parents. The text cites the team's popularity, its recognition in national media outlets like the Today show and Sports Illustrated, and Georgia's need for foster parents, noting the state has 9,500 children in foster care. The resolution formally thanks the Coles for using their platform to spotlight foster care needs, and directs the Secretary of the Senate to send copies of the resolution to Jesse and Emily Cole, Banana Ball, and Bananas Foster. It does not create any new law, funding, or program. ### What it does - Formally honors Jesse and Emily Cole and their Savannah Bananas/Banana Ball organization for their public visibility and success. - Recognizes Bananas Foster, a nonprofit the Coles created that highlights the foster care community and selects a 'Bananas Foster Family' at each game. - Expresses the Georgia Senate's gratitude for the Coles' efforts to raise national awareness of foster care needs. - Directs the Secretary of the Senate to distribute copies of the resolution to the honorees. ### Who it affects The resolution directly names Jesse and Emily Cole, the Savannah Bananas and Banana Ball organization, and their nonprofit Bananas Foster. It also references Georgia's foster care community and the roughly 9,500 children currently in the state's foster care system. ### Why it matters This resolution carries no legal or funding effect; it is a symbolic honor. Its practical significance is limited to public recognition of the Coles' charitable work and a reminder of Georgia's ongoing need for foster parents, which the resolution highlights but does not address with new policy or resources. ### Key provisions - The resolution's whereas clauses describe the founding of the Savannah Bananas in 2016 and the creation of Bananas Foster nonprofit by Jesse and Emily Cole. - It states Georgia has 9,500 children in foster care and a continuing need for foster parents. - The resolved clause formally honors and expresses gratitude to the Coles, Banana Ball, and Bananas Foster. - A further resolved clause directs the Secretary of the Senate to prepare and distribute copies of the resolution to the honorees. ## Status - Status: Passed (2026-02-06) - Last action: Senate Read and Adopted (2026-02-06) - Sponsors: Blake Tillery, Kay Kirkpatrick, Ben Watson, Derek Mallow, Billy Hickman, Jason Anavitarte, Freddie Sims, Larry Walker - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72900 > The history, votes, and amendments (94 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr714.md?full=1