[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 51 (Tuesday, April 13, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E525]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           IN SUPPORT OF THE GOALS OF A NATIONAL SIBLINGS DAY

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. CAROLYN B. MALONEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 13, 2010

  Mrs. MALONEY. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of establishing 
a National Siblings Day, a day in which we all reflect upon the ways 
siblings have enriched our lives. We have a Mother's Day to celebrate 
our mothers, and a Father's Day to celebrate our fathers. Establishing 
a Siblings Day would allow us an opportunity to celebrate and honor our 
siblings and would give every family member a day to be celebrated.
  Claudia Evart is a constituent of mine in New York. She has worked 
tirelessly over the past several years to make April 10th the official 
day we reflect upon the importance of our siblings.
  April 10th would mark the birthday of Ms. Evart's sister, Lisette, 
who died tragically in an accident that also took the life of her 
father in 1972. Lisette was only 19 years old. Just 14 years later, in 
1986, Ms. Evart's older brother, Alan, died in an accident in his home 
at the young age of 36.
  Siblings significantly affect our lives and shape who we are. 
Siblings are a major part of our family, and often when our parents are 
gone our siblings are the only family we have left. And sometimes we 
lose our siblings at an early age, as with Ms. Evart's tragic 
experience. A National Siblings Day would help us honor and celebrate 
siblings and aid us in remembering the siblings that we have lost.
  I applaud Ms. Evart's hard work over the past 14 years to create a 
National Siblings Day, and with it a loving tribute to her deceased 
siblings. Her dedicated efforts are inspirational. Since 1998, 33 
governors have issued gubernatorial proclamations in their states for 
Siblings Day: AL, AR, AZ, CO, CT, FL, IL, IA, IN, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, 
MA, MI, MS, MO, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NY, OK, PA, RI, SC, VT, VA, WV, WA, WI 
and WY. I urge my colleagues to recognize the importance of siblings by 
adding their support to Ms. Evart's endeavors, and to the goals of a 
National Siblings Day.

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