SENATE RESOLUTION

8627

BySenators Dhingra, Conway, Hasegawa, Kuderer, Lovelett, Nobles, Robinson, Shewmake, Trudeau, Valdez, Wagoner, and C. Wilson

WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Washington take pride in recognizing Friday, March 24, 2023, as a day to honor the success of cricket in our state; and

WHEREAS, Washington State has a large cricket community that exemplifies the rich diversity of our country and state including the fast-growing immigrant communities that represent cricket-loving nations; and

WHEREAS, Washington State is home to the Seattle Thunderbolts, the 2022 National Champions of the Toyota Minor League Cricket (MILC) Championship; and

WHEREAS, We celebrate the Thunderbolt's accomplishments and applaud the players and coaches for their contributions in competing and succeeding in the only nationwide cricket competition; and

WHEREAS, King County and the greater Puget Sound region has over 5,000 men and women cricketeers playing in both adult leagues and recreational leagues; and

WHEREAS, Youth cricket programs, such as the Seattle Youth Cricket League, total more than 500 children in order to provide more opportunities for participation in cricket; and

WHEREAS, The sport of cricket is one of the most popular, well-established team sports in the world that is enjoyed by billions across the globe; and an estimated 24,000,000 people in the United States play or watch cricket every year; and

WHEREAS, Cricket is a symbol for the union of people with different passions, backgrounds, and stories to collectively come together and build meaningful relationships and trust both on and off the field; and

WHEREAS, The Senate is excited to welcome the Pacific Northwest's newest professional sports team: The Seattle Orcas; and

WHEREAS, The Seattle Orcas is a tribute to Washington's vibrant cricket community as we are now one of just six major league cricket teams in the United States that will play in this year's inaugural season;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Washington State Senate is a welcoming space for cricketeers, and we honor the successes of our teams.

I, Sarah Bannister, Secretary of the Senate,

do hereby certify that this is a true and

correct copy of Senate Resolution 8627,

adopted by the Senate

March 24, 2023

SARAH BANNISTER

Secretary of the Senate