Washington State Senate honors Penny Arcade achievements

9 March 2009

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Posted by:Josh

A very rare thing occurred late last week . . . The government looked at video games and nodded. And then honored them with a Resolution.

Sound like the Twilight Zone? Well to get specific, the Washington State Senate last week honored the creators of Penny Arcade, writer Jerry Holkins and cartoonist Mike Krahulik (Gabe & Tyco as they are known on the Internets), with Washington State Senate Resolution 8640.

What’s even more impressive was the show of bi-partisan support for the resolution, which was created by both a Republican and a Democrat. The Resolution also passed. All good things.

Here is what the Resolution honored:

* Penny Arcade creators Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik for creating Penny Arcade.
* The celebration of Penny Arcade’s 10th anniversary.
* The growth of the Penny Arcade Expo which ballooned to 58,500 attendants in 2008 to become the largest gaming convention in the United States.
* The fact that the Penny Arcade Expo takes place at the Washington State Convention and Trade Center and brings all those people to Washington, thus reinforcing Seattle’s “status as a leading locale of the game industry.”
* The Child’s Play Charity created by Gabe & Tyco.
* The fact that the Child’s Play Charity has raised over $4.5 million dollars for sixty different Children’s Hospitals worldwide including two of Washington State’s own hospitals.

To quote directly from the Resolution:
“NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Washington State Senate officially recognize the accomplishments of Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik in becoming widely accepted leaders in the computer and video game industries, encouraging industry growth through scholarships, and advancing Washington State as a hub of the gaming industry through the presence of Penny Arcade Expo; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Washington State Senate honor Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik for their hard work and dedication to improving the lives of hospitalized children worldwide through their creation and continued work with Child’s Play Charity; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be immediately transmitted by the Secretary of the Senate to Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik.”

From Penny-Arcade, via Neogaf