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Citizen activism starts early for Jeffco student

Boy pushing state to name official winter sports

By Tony Trowbridge, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published March 14, 2008 at 12:30 a.m.

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William Kane, 10, who seeks to make skiing and snowboarding the official winter sports of Colorado, practices baseball this week.

Photo by Silvia Razgova / Special To The News

William Kane, 10, who seeks to make skiing and snowboarding the official winter sports of Colorado, practices baseball this week.

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State Rep. Gwyn Green is used to hearing from her constituents.

But she was surprised when 9-year-old William Kane called her in October with a proposal.

The Dennison Elementary School fourth-grader wanted to make skiing and snowboarding the official winter recreational sports of Colorado.

"It's extremely rare," Green, D-Golden, said of someone so young calling her about state business. "He was so cute. He was so enthused.

"I gave him a little job. I told him I wanted to get a petition going . . . I wanted to get some signatures on the petition."

About six weeks later, they touched base again.

"He was a little disappointed that he only had 70 names, but I thought 70 was really good," Green said. "I was quite impressed."

William, who takes piano lessons and plays baseball, signed up the entire fourth grade at his Jefferson County school.

"I asked all my friends and they said, 'Sure, I'll sign.' They liked skiing, too," said William, a mogul skier who often hits the slopes at Winter Park with his family - twin brother, Matthew, older brother, Patrick, and parents, Anne and Tom.

His classmates went a step further, said Dennison fourth-grade teacher Nicole Petrie.

"Those fourth-graders wrote letters to representatives and senators to accept the proposal," she said.

William, who turned 10 last month, now has 81 names collected.

Come 10 a.m. Monday, the school's entire fourth grade of 90 students will be at the state Capitol as Green introduces the resolution.

"I'm very proud of him," William's mother said. "This is Will's doing."

Petrie, who has been teaching at Dennison the past three years, said that William got the idea after studying Colorado history.

"I'm happy . . . that he took the initiative," she said. "It's a very exciting time for us at Dennison."

Green was an incoming legislator in 2004 when Girl Scout Troop 357 enlisted the help of then-Rep. Betty Boyd, D-Lakewood, to name Yule marble the official Colorado state rock.

"This is all from one child's idea," Green said of the skiing and snowboarding proposal. "I think it has a good chance of passing."

trowbridget@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5285

Other states' official sports

Alaska - Dog mushing

Hawaii - Individual: Surfing, Team: Outrigger canoe paddling

Maryland - Individual: Jousting, Team: Lacrosse

Massachusetts - Basketball

New Hampshire - Skiing

South Dakota - Rodeo

Texas - Rodeo

Wyoming - Rodeo