June 20, 2013

Today we celebrate:

Ice Cream Soda Day – Invented in 1874 by Robert McCay Green in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this quickly became a popular beverage particularly among teenagers. There are others who claim to have invented this sweet drink around this time period, but Mr. Green is the one who generally gets credit for it.

American Eagle Day – Approved by the U.S. Congress in 2007, 2008, 2010 and 2011 and by 40 Governors as of 2012, this is a day to focus on what this majestic bird needs in order to survive. It has been removed from the endangered list, but that doesn't mean that we don't have to worry about it anymore. It still faces a loss of nesting areas and habitat from which it finds food, as well as diseases.

Dump The Pump Day – Celebrated annually for the last 8 years, the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) and public transportation systems all across the country celebrate this day. The idea is to save money on gas by riding public transportation instead of driving on this day. Another good way would be to invent a car that runs on garbage which we certainly produce plenty of. That's my son's plan for when he grows up.

Recess At Work Day – Celebrated on the third Thursday in June, this is a day when recess is serious business. It's an opportunity to increase creativity in the workplace, increase morale at your office, improve the health of the employees, create the spirit of everyone being on the same team, and sharing the fun side of you that the people you work with rarely have a chance to see. These people are so serious about it that they have a Recess At Work Training System that you can learn about here: http://recessatworkday.com/

Word Refugee Day – Established by the United Nations, this is a day to honor the men, women and children who are forced to abandon their homes to avoid violence and persecution. Right now there are 43.7 million refugees in the world. That's a lot of people and the United Nations Refugee Agency provides assistance and protection for 34 million of them. http://www.worldrefugeeday.us/site/c.arKKI1MLIjI0E/b.8092105/k.B369/World_Refugee_Day.htm

To celebrate today, take a bus to work and prepare to have recess all day. You might want to clear it with the boss first, unless you are the boss, in which case, have fun. Take turns at work going up to the roof with binoculars and keeping an eye out for an American Eagle. Ice cream soda's for everyone at lunch time. Then when you get home, immerse yourself in the stories of refugees around the world and if you are so moved, help out by volunteering your services or donating money.