What are you doing on April 29 and 30? Come to Washington, DC and participate in P.E.4LIFE’s 3rd Annual National P.E. Day activities, presented by SGMA International. Many sports celebrities will be on hand to show their support for PE and the role it plays in reversing obesity problems in American youth.
The list includes Larry Holmes (former heavyweight boxing champion), Tikki Barber (New York Giants), Dan OBrien (U.S. Olympic decathlon gold medalist), Jackie Joyner-Kersee (U.S. Olympic track & field gold medalist), Mia Hamm (World Cup soccer champion/U.S. Olympic gold medalist), John Calipari (University of Memphis men’s basketball coach), Mike Kohn (U.S. Olympic bobsledder), Tori Allen (rockclimber), and father-son NFL quarterbacks Archie (ex-New Orleans Saints) and Peyton Manning (Indianapolis Colts). The purpose of this initiative is to lobby Congress for continued funding of physical education in our schools for fiscal year 2004. National P.E. Day’s lobbying will be Wednesday, April 30.
On Tuesday, April 29, there will be a kickoff dinner. All interested parties in the sporting goods industry are encouraged to attend the P.E.4LIFE National P.E. Day Dinner (Hilton Embassy Row, 2015 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC). At the dinner, the following awards will be presented: P.E.4LIFE Legislator of the Year Award; Senator Ted Stevens Award; and the P.E.4LIFE My Favorite P.E. Teacher Award (presented by Sporting Kid magazine).
This event will start with a reception from 6:00 – 7:00 pm, followed by dinner from 7:00 – 8:30 pm. The cost of the dinner is $100 per plate. The RSVP deadline has been extended to Tuesday, April 8th.
Please contact Stephanie Jones, P.E.4LIFE, to reserve your seat at the dinner and to confirm your participation in the lobbying effort. Contact information: (202) 776-0377; Email: sjones@pe4life.org. Please send your check to P.E.4LIFE, National P.E. Day Dinner, 1150 17th Street, NW., Ste. 407, Washington, DC 20036.
“These two events should be supported by the sporting goods industry,” said SGMA International President John Riddle. “One of the main reasons we have continued to garner Congressional support for the PEP bill is because of the industry’s lobbying efforts on National P.E. Day. The sporting goods industry sends a powerful message to Congress when it provides a united front. Please make plans to attend.”
“This great team of famous athletes, coaches, and industry leaders help focus attention on the critical importance PEP grants have on the lives of America’s school children,” said Anne Flannery, P.E.4LIFE Executive Director. “In these difficult times, we must all remember to invest in the future generations by creating the resources our children need today.”
The congressional visits made by sporting goods industry executives, sports celebrities and other participants, a central component of National P.E. Day, are scheduled for Wednesday, April 30. Topping the industry’s agenda this year is funding for the Carol M. White Physical Education for Progress Program (PEP). PEP is a grant program which delivers vitally needed funds to enhance local Physical Education programs. Earlier this year, Congress approved $60 million in PEP funding, an increase from $50 million in 2002 and $5 million in 2001, when the program was created. Eighteen grants were given in 2001, 176 grants in 2002, and it is expected that more than 200 local school districts and community-based organizations will receive PEP grants in the coming months. While the trend of increased funds reflects growing support for PE, severe budgetary constraints brought on by war and homeland security spending may threaten discretionary funding for programs like PEP, necessitating a strong National PE Day showing on Capitol Hill this year.
