Yep: Cycling is Now the Official State Sport of Delaware
Thanks to the unstoppable students from Wilbur Elementary and Southern Elementary (and Representative Valerie Longhurst and Senator Nicole Poore), CYCLING is now the OFFICIAL STATE SPORT of Delaware!
Governor Markell (standing right) and Senator Nicole Poore (seated, 2nd from right) meeting with students from Southern Elementary before the vote to make cycling the Official State Sport of Delaware.
The prime sponsors of House Bill 235 were Representative Valerie Longhurst, Senator Nicole Poore and Senator David Sokola. Additional sponsors were Reps. Gerald Brady and Debra Heffernan; and Sens. Brian Bushweller, Catherine Cloutier and Margaret Henry.
Critical momentum for House Bill 235 came from expert witnesses from Wilbur Elementary School in Bear, who testified in January to the Administration Committee of the Delaware House of Representatives in favor of the bill. The witnesses told the committee that there were many benefits of cycling:
“It is more efficient than a car.”
“It will help people lose weight.”
“Riding a bike makes your muscles, heart and lungs stronger.”
“You can be active instead of just sitting around doing nothing.”
“You don’t use any gas.”
“It can be done year round…you can layer up and be good to go.”
“Riding bikes instead of driving makes the state cleaner.”
Most importantly, as one witness noted, riding a bike is “awesome.”
Expert witnesses from Wilbur Elementary School testified in Janaury in Dover in favor of legislation to make cycling the Official State Sport of Delaware
We are only halfway though Delaware Bike Month. The month started with the 2014 Walkable Bikeable Delaware Summit, Delaware being officially ranked as the 4th most bicycle friendly state in America and a declaration from Governor Markell and Lt. Governor Denn that being 4th wasn’t good enough for them. Now cycling has been named the Official State Sport of Delaware by the Delaware General Assembly. What’s next?
RELATED:
• Announcement on Governor Markell’s Facebook page
• Littlest lawmakers push cycling bill (News Journal)
• The Fourth Most Bicycle Friendly State in America
• Markell and Denn: “We are going to help make Delaware the most bicycle friendly state in America.”
• Longhurst and Colleagues Fought for Trail Network Funding
• Representative Valerie Longhurst (facebook)
• Senator Nicole Poore (facebook)
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[…] Governor Markell (standing right) and Senator Nicole Poore (seated, 2nd from right) meeting with students from Southern Elementary before the vote to make cycling the Official State Sport of Delaware. – See more HERE […]