Dandelion Dash to Olympia on Wednesday, May 10th, is a grassroots event to raise awareness and rally in favor of amply funding public education for all children in Washington. Because members of the Washington State Legislature devoted a significant amount of time debating dandelions on the Capitol lawns in the last days of the 2017 legislative session, advocates of all ages will take advantage of the Seattle Public Schools early dismissal on Wednesday, May 10th, to support Seattle Education Association and teachers from around the state, as they continue to Occupy Olympia, by making and displaying tissue paper and yarn dandelions and engaging in other advocacy and awareness activities that are supportive of the Washington State PTA legislative platform issue, “Amply Fund Basic Education” and similarly aligned platforms. The rough schedule is as follows:
- 1:00-2:00 – Volunteers set up in Heritage Park
- 2:00-3:10 – Children, parents, teachers will craft dandelion flowers of tissue paper and yarn, write post cards to legislators, and participate in other group and individual craft and advocacy/awareness activities on the lawns around the Capitol
- 3:10-3:30 – Dandy Parade from Heritage Park to legislative building steps
- 3:30-4:00 – Rally on steps of legislative building with tissue paper dandelions
- 4:00-5:00 – Dandy Delivery volunteers deliver postcards, tissue flowers, invoices to legislator offices, those who scheduled meetings with legislators will attend, and others will return to Heritage Park for continued activities.
- 5:00-6:00 – Volunteers pack up all items and trash*
Location: Heritage Park and the Legislative Building, North Steps
*PLEASE NOTE: This is a pack in/pack out event, so all items provided by volunteers and participating organizations, including tables, tents, and supplies. The grounds must be left just as they were found.