Rally taking place on Aug 20 in Harrisburg to “Let Our Kids Play”

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Billy Splain | August 10, 2020

Click picture to join rally

Julie Burkurt and John Rooney have both started rallys to “Let Our Kids Play”.  They started them when the Governor said they shouldn’t.  The response has been large and growing.  Both have reasons to rally PA.  Julie is the mother of two young athletes, and John has a senior high football player, son Cade, who want their seasons to continue. The Rally will be held next Thursday, August 20 at the steps of the courthouse in Harrisburg. Registration is at 10 am and the rally runs from 11am-12pm. Set to speak at the rally are Senator Doug Mastriano, Senator Mike Reese and Nick Lincoln from the Philadelphia coaching ranks. 

John also started a facebook site for a rally but decided to join forces with Julie to make it one large event.  He also started a twitter page called @LetThemPlayPA.

Joining forces w/ other concerned parents here. Here is the Harrisburg Rally!! Chk outthe FB event link. Aug 20, 11:00am, State Capitol. We need 1000s to show up. PLEASE don’t let the kids down! Let’s do this!https://t.co/NAF1ElO4gO

— @LetThemPlayPA (@letthemplaypa) August 10, 2020

Julie released the following statement:

CALLING my fellow Americans and Pennsylvanians. Governor Wolf is testing us. He has made a “strong recommendation” in the hopes that we are either uneducated or too complacent to know the difference between a “recommendation” and a “law.” The statement issued by the Governor’s website states, “The administration strongly recommends that Pre-K to 12 school sports be postponed until at least Jan. 1, 2021. The administration is providing this strong recommendation and not an order or mandate. As with deciding whether students should return to in-person classes, remote learning or a blend of the two this fall, school administrators and locally elected school boards should make decisions on sports.”  PIAA followed the Governor’s remarks with a statement of its own “the Board believes that the Governor’s strong recommendation to delay sports to January 1, 2021 has a potential negative impact on the students’ physical, social, emotional and mental health,” also citing the financial inability of some children to participate in alternative activities.  PIAA decided to reconvene on August 21, 2020 to allow time to further review these issues with the Governor, the Departments of Health and Education and the General Assembly. Meanwhile, across our Commonwealth, some school districts and local governments effectively turned the “recommendation” into law, by cancelling fall sports, pulling permits on parks or closing public parks altogether. 

 I am a mother of two athletes, I sit on the Board for a youth sports organization and I am an attorney.  I cannot stand for leadership that circumvents the Constitution and manipulates its constituents. I am planning a march in Harrisburg on August 20, 2020 at 11:00 am as a peaceful protest against Gubernatorial “recommendations” that threaten fall sports, the very activities that foster the physical and mental health, safety and welfare of our youth during these otherwise dismal times.

RESTORE Lehigh County, ReOpen PA, and Let Them Play PA have been great social media platforms for disseminating information on this and similar topics and are largely nonpartisan.  However, change and influence comes not just from words but from action.  I am issuing a strong “recommendation” for all who share my passion to influence our leadership in favor of maintaining fall sports for our young athletes – Join Me in the MARCH to LET OUR KIDS PLAY IN PA!  10 am on the Front Steps of the Capital, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.  This is a peaceful, nonpartisan event for change.  Thank you for your support.  

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