3 Mile Family Bike Ride to Signing of Bill By Governor Markell to Make Cycling the Official State Sport of Delaware Is Saturday, June 14
Join State Representative Valerie Longhurst, State Senator Nicole Poore and Governor Jack Markell on Saturday, June 14
Representative Valerie Longhurst, Senator Nicole Poore and Governor Jack Markell invite you to join them and the students of Wilbur and Southern Elementary Schools for a morning bike ride and signing ceremony of Delaware House Bill 235, making bicycling the official state sport of Delaware.
WHEN: 8:30AM, Saturday, June 14 (Ride starts at 9AM)
WHERE: Wilbur Elementary School, 4050 Wrangle Hill Road, Bear, DE
We will ride from Wilbur Elementary to Southern Elementary School (795 Cox Neck Rd, New Castle) where Governor Markell will sign HB235 at about 10AM.
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
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)
