TO ALL INTERESTED PARTIES:

The sample letters you will find presented below are for your use in our continuing effort to obtain a Presidential and/or Congressional Proclamation for National Dance Week 2008. We are most hopeful you will join us in this ongoing campaign to gain official recognition of our worthy cause. Such proclamations would lend much-needed support and validation to all of our events and would also assist in obtaining the additional funding of which we are so in need.

With the issuance of President Bush’s Letter of Commendation in NDW 2002, we now know that all who had been writing did, at the very least, gain the attention of the White House. However, since it’s a Proclamation we are requesting, not merely “Presidential messages", we do need to continue with an on-going letter-writing campaign. It will only be through a continuing and increasing stream of such petitions that the request will one day be acknowledged! Should we eventually be granted our Presidential Proclamation, we would then ask that you send a letter of gratitude as a further show of support. We suggest that you may use these sample letters as guides for gaining the continued attention of the White House or certainly, you may compose your own. Additionally, Congress in years past, did include mention of NDW in their Congressional Records but we would like to see them issue a Congressional Proclamation as an even greater show of support.

We cannot adequately stress the importance of what such a mass mailing would be. Additionally, consider the impact it would have in emphasizing the total numbers of the dance community (who are also American voters) as well as the seriousness of our quest. You may also send an email by using the “Contact Congress” link on the Home page of this website NDW website ( http://www.nationaldanceweek.org).

We thank you in advance for joining the ranks of those who have sent letters and want you to realize it will be only through YOUR efforts that we will gain the ultimate issuance of such Proclamations.

Sincerely,
Patricia A. Goulding
Executive Director
National Dance Week

SAMPLE LETTER OF PETITION TO ATTAIN PRESIDENTIAL PROCLAMATION FOR NDW

President George W. Bush
White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
Washington, DC 20500
(Date)

Dear President Bush:

We would like to thank you for your kind letter of commendation sent in recognition of National Dance Week back in 2002. Your words were deeply appreciated and recognized by all from the American dance community.

We would, however, also like to present our continued request for the issuance of a Presidential Proclamation for the year 2008 observance of National Dance Week to be observed April 25 through May 5, 2008. It would help our cause a great deal to receive such an official validation from your esteemed office since yours is the most highly respected position in America, if not the world.

In our nation today it is most important for us to express our patriotism and celebrate all things American. The art of Dance in America has a direct relationship with our vivacity, freedom, independence, and joy for living. We are able to express ourselves freely and nothing serves us better for a "universal language" than our entire beings in motion. If you would choose to issue a Presidential Proclamation in recognition of National Dance Week, it would be a strong testament to the public as regards your own administration’s attitudes towards the arts and their place in our society, our educational forums and the entire global community.

We are hopeful you will be able to grant us the honor of such a proclamation as continuing proof of your professed and honored goals and philosophies as exemplified in your “Leave no child behind” program. I thank you iin advance for any time and consideration you may be able to give our humble request.

Respectfully yours,
(your signature)

SAMPLE LETTER TO SENATOR OR CONGRESSMAN

Senator or Congressmen’s name)
(above’s address)
(above’s address)
(Date)

Dear (Senator or Congressman/woman):

We would like to express our deep gratitude for the Letter of Commendation sent by President Bush in recognition of National Dance Week back in 2002 as well as the inclusion of a recognition of National Dance Week in the Congressional Records in years past.

We would, however, also like to present our continued request for a Congressional Proclamation for National Dance Week 2008 as an acknowledgement of our annual campaign to raise public awareness to the societal benefits inherent to our art form in America. With that thought in mind, we would respectfully request that you now consider sponsoring and/or supporting such a Congressional Proclamation. Our dates for the next celebration are April 25 through May 4, 2008.

It would be most beneficial for the American dance community to receive such an official validation since it would greatly validate the presence of dance in our nation's education, therapeutic, entertainment, ethnic and liturgical communities. A Congressional Proclamation would be a strong testament to the public as regards our government representatives’ attitudes towards the arts and their place in both our culture. We are hopeful you will lend your voice to this request.

With the inclusion of Dance in the Goals 2000 program for American education, witness was given to the importance of the movement arts in our society. President Bush's promise to "Leave no child behind" added a reaffirmation to the educational goals in America. An additional recognition in the form of a Congressional Proclamation would serve well to further emphasize the importance of dance as one of the integral arts in the United States. Your actions and votes to bring about such recognition could well serve as an assurance to the American people of the extent of your own interest in elevating our educational and societal standards ever higher.

Sincerely,
(your signature)