June 20, 2015

Today we celebrate:

National Vanilla Milkshake Day - Milkshakes have been around since 1885.  Originally they were alcoholic beverages that were much like the eggnog we enjoy today with eggs, whiskey and milk.  Over the years the recipe changed until there were no eggs or whiskey and instead, beginning in 1922, ice cream was added to malted milk.

Toad Hollow Day of Thank You - Toad Hollow was the name of a school more than 100 years ago.  Ralph C. Morrison heard about it and used the name in his stories.  He made the name come to life when he was given land in Kalamazoo County to make a Toad Hollow park.  It was a success, but the county later took the land back for other purposes.  However, the sentiment has lived on, spread by the Voluntoads (volunteers who worked at Toad Hollow) who have carried on in other locations the activities they performed at the park.  They created this day to encourage us to take time to thank anyone who has helped us or has given anything to us.

World Juggling Day – Celebrated on the Saturday closest to June 17th, this is a day that is sponsored by the International Juggler's Association (IJA). The goal of today is to spread the fun that juggling provides and bring jugglers everywhere together. I know a juggler personally and he never ceases to amaze me with his skills whenever I see him perform. Events will be held all over the world.

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.

World 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. I’m not sure what the other 9.7 million do to survive.

To celebrate today, drink an ice cream soda and a milk shake while you watch out for eagles.  Seek out a juggling show and thank the jugglers for the entertainment.  Then, finish up the day by finding out what you can do to help the refugees of the world.

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