The former LSU Head Baseball Coach and Athletic Director is heading to Washington D.C. to endorse a proposed fitness bill before Congress.

The following report from LSU SID's Bill Franques

SILVER SPRING, MD – A number of sports superstars are heading to Capitol Hill next month to fight childhood obesity and to help ‘Get America Moving.’  And former LSU head baseball coach Skip Bertman will be joining them.

These champions of sport will have a message that there’s an overwhelming need for daily P.E. for all school children and for all Americans to embrace healthy, active lifestyles.

In addition to Bertman, the celebrity delegation includes football legend Herschel Walker; former Major League Baseball pitcher Tommy John; Olympic Gold Medal Swimmer Rowdy Gaines; Olympic gold medal winning gymnast Shannon Miller; Olympic swimming gold medalist Cullen Jones; Olympic silver-medal winning beach volleyball player April Ross; Cleveland Browns running backs Terrance West and Isaiah Crowell; two-time Super Bowl-winning placekicker Matt Stover; #1 Ranked U.S. Heptathlete Sharon Day; former four-time NFL All-Pro linebacker Ken Harvey; former NFL defensive back John Booty; former Washington Capitals hockey player Alan May; former NBA star Jason Collins; national champion wrestler Kelly Ward; and former California Angels outfielder Darrell Miller.

On Wednesday, March 4, Bertman will join the delegation of well-known athletes, fitness & sporting goods manufacturers, fitness & sports retailers, concerned citizens and association leaders, to visit Capitol Hill and participate in the 2015 National Health Through Fitness Day.  Primarily, they will lobby Congress for passage of two legislative initiatives that will help all Americans become more physically fit:

(1)  Carol M. White Physical Education Program (PEP), which provides grants to school districts and community based organizations to support innovative physical education and activity methods;

(2)  PHIT (Personal Health Investment Today) Act, which will encourage improved health through increased physical activity for all Americans by making it more affordable to play sports and engage in physical fitness and recreation activities -- through the use of tax incentives.

Bertman will be spending time on Capitol Hill because of his personal commitment to promoting physical activity to reverse the ‘inactivity pandemic’ in America.

“I am looking forward to the day ‘on the Hill’ and to sharing the news with members of Congress that the PEP grants are working at the local level in this country,” says Bertman.  “We need fitness facilities at every school for students, staff and their local community.  The PHIT Act will provide a financial incentive for families to get active, exercising and staying active.”

While waiting for Congress to get behind the PEP Program, there’s an easy-to-use tool for the general public to use so they can ‘voice’ their support for PEP.  Click here to send an electronic letter directly to members of Congress to encourage them to support PEP. Americans who advocate on PHITAmerica.org will help support what takes place on National Health Through Fitness Day.

 

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