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Jul 30, 2009 11:02 pm US/Central
Good Question: How Does A Day Get Dedicated?
(WCCO)
How did you celebrate National Cheesecake Day? Have you made plans for Blood Pressure Awareness Day? Every month, week and day of the year there is some sort of event or holiday. But how do you get a day? And who decides what becomes a day?
"It depends, do you want a city day? State? National?" asked Tina Valek, Director at Padilla, Speer, Beardsley, a Minneapolis Public Relations Firm. "Usually for a significant day you go through a government agency."
Valek said she was involved in getting Cub Foods Day declared in 2003, both in the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul.
"In most situations, a lot of them are officially proclaimed," she said.
But not always. July 30 is National Cheesecake Day, but there's no record of any governmental proclamation setting that up. In some cases, savvy businesses or public relations firms convince the news media to cover the day as an event, thereby giving it credibility.
Or, they get the day registered with Chase's Calendar Events, "it's like the Bible of events," said Valek. To register, you simply fill out a form and convince the company that your day is worthy.
In early August, Chase's had a record of "Sneak Some Zucchini Onto Your Neighbor's Porch Night," which was registered by "Thomas and Ruth Roy in Lebanon, Penn."
"You can submit an application to this book. It thereby makes it seemingly more official. It's in a book," laughed Valek.
Minneapolis has an online form where people can request a Mayoral Proclamation, according to Jeremy Hanson, Mayor R.T. Rybak's Communications Director. "The majority of requests for proclamations come from non-profit agencies," said Hanson.
"Proclamations are issued for civic celebrations, non-profit organizations and significant events with historical and/or unique importance to the citizens of Minneapolis, or individuals who have made a significant contribution to society. We do not issue proclamations that promote specific businesses or commercial products," he explained.
People can also get proclamations from the City Council. The same is true on the state level. Governor Tim Pawlenty can issue a proclamation, or the legislature can honor a person on a day.
Valek said having an official day can be very beneficial from a public relations perspective. "It really adds a lot," she said. "It can get people like you in the media a little more interested in the story," she told WCCO-TV's Jason DeRusha.
Not all "national" days are self-proclaimed, like National Cheesecake Day. "There is a National Bourbon Heritage Month," said Valek. "Jim Beam went to a Senator from Tennessee. It was officially resolved that there's a National Bourbon Heritage Month."
International observances, like World AIDS Day or World Day of Social Justice, are authorized by the United Nations General Assembly, typically. Of course, no one is stopping DeRusha from declaring August 15 "World Good Question Day" or setting up
JasonDeRushaDay.com. If you can get enough people to buy into it, then it's achieved its goal.
Sign The Petition For Jason DeRusha Day
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