[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 18]
[Senate]
[Page 24203]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


                          I LOVE TO WRITE DAY

  Mr. CARPER. Mr. President, I wish to commemorate I Love to Write Day. 
The designation of November 15 as I Love to Write Day allows the Nation 
to focus much-needed attention on the value and importance of 
practicing writing skills at every age.
  I Love to Write Day was created by Delaware author John Riddle in 
2002. John came up with the idea for I Love to Write Day while driving 
from his home in Delaware to the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers 
Conference in Ashville, NC. That first year, more than 11,000 schools 
across the country signed up to participate in I Love to Write Day 
events and activities.
  Since Delaware Governor Ruth Ann Minner officially declared November 
15th as I Love to Write Day in 2002, nine other Governors have joined 
in recognizing it, and more than 20,000 schools participated last year.
  This year, Children's Way Foundation teamed up with Mr. Riddle to 
bring together 50,000 elementary schools throughout the country to 
provide students with the opportunity to discover and develop the 
talent of writing.
  John Riddle currently resides in Bear, DE, and knows the value of 
writing first hand. For the last 30 years, he has been a freelance 
author writing for magazines, trade journals and Web sites, and is the 
author of 34 books. He is a frequent presenter at writers conferences 
all across the country and spoke last year at the National Press Club 
in Washington, DC.
  Writing is vital to improve communication skills and to challenge 
minds. It is a skill that is helpful in every career and the ability to 
communicate effectively through writing not only enhances one's 
educational opportunities but also serves as a lifelong asset. It 
doesn't matter if you write a poem, a letter, an essay, or a novel; 
just as long as you are getting your thoughts down on paper you are 
engaging your mind. I applaud Mr. Riddle's efforts to get people 
writing and hope that I Love to Write Day continues to be a success 
throughout the Nation.

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