MARCH 17TH - ST. PATRICK'S DAY

Saint Patrick's Day is a cultural and religious holiday celebrated internationally on March 17th. It commemorates Saint Patrick, the most commonly recognized of the patron saints of Ireland, and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland. Saint Patrick's Day was made an official feast day in the early 17th century, and has gradually become a secular celebration of Irish culture in general. The day is generally characterized by the attendance of church services, wearing of green attire (especially shamrocks), and the lifting of Lenten restrictions on eating and drinking alcohol. St. Patrick's Day is probably the most widely celebrated saints day in the world.

source: www.wikipedia.org

NATIONAL PI DAY - MARCH 14TH

Pi Day is a holiday commemorating the mathematical constant pi. Pi day is celebrated on March 14, since 3, 1 and 4 are the three most significant digits of pi in the decimal form. In 2009, the United States House of Representatives supported the designation of Pi Day. Larry Shaw created Pi Day in 1988. The holiday was celebrated at the San Francisco Exploratorium, where Shaw worked as a physicist, with staff and public marching around one of its circular spaces, then consuming fruit pies.

source: www.wikipedia.org

MARCH 12TH - GIRL SCOUT DAY

Girl Scout Day recognizes and celebrates the Girl Scouts of America. This date celebrates the creation of the first Girl Scout group on March 12, 1912. Lady Olave Baden-Powell, the wife of Lord Baden-Powell(who created the Boy Scouts), founded Girl Guides. On March 12, 1912, Juliette Gordon Low started the first Girl Scout group in Savannah, Georgia with 18 girls. The Girl Scouts became a national organizatin, as was chartered by the U.S. Congress on March 16, 1950. Today, there are millions of girls involved with Girl Scouts.

source: www.holidayinsights.com

MARCH 1-31 COLORECTAL CANCER AWARENESS MONTH

Colorectal cancer is cancer of the colon or rectum. It's as common in women as it is in men. This year, over 141,200 people will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer and an estimated 49,380 will die of the disease. With certain types of screening, this cancer can be prevented by removing polyps (grape-like growths on the wall of the intestine) before they become cancerous. Several screening tests detect colorectal cancer early, when it can be more easily and successfully treated.

source: www.preventcancer.org

NATIONAL NUTRITION MONTH

National Nutrition Month is a nutrition education and information campaign created annually in March by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, formerly the American Dietetic Association. The campaign focuses attention on the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits. Registered Dietitian Day, also celebrated in March, increases awareness of registered dietitians as the indispensable providers of food and nutrition services and recognizes RDs for their commitment to helping people enjoy health lives.

source: www.eatright.org

CELEBRATE SOCIAL WORK MONTH 2012

Why social work matters...

The social work profession has been instrumental in achieving civil rights and human rights advances in the United States and across the globe for mor than a century. The primary mission of social work is to enhance human well-being and help meet the basic needs of all people, especially the most vulnerable.

Social workers strive to achieve this mission through many different roles in more than 50 fields of practice.

source: www.socialworkers.org

MARCH AS RED CROSS MONTH

Each year the President of the United States proclaims March "Red Cross Month." The American Red Cross uses this opportunity to promote its services to the American public and for fund-raising.

Since its founding in 1881 by visionary leader Clara Barton, the American Red Cross has been the nation's premier emergency response organization. As part of a worldwide movement that offers neutral humanitarian care to the victims of war, the American Red Cross distinguishes itself by also aiding victims of devastating natural disasters. Over the years, the organization has expended its services, always with the aim of preventing and relieving suffering.

source: www.redcross.org