Monthly Archives: February 2013

Think Ahead: National Essential Tremor Awareness Month

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You eat the right foods and exercise regularly. And if you don’t right now, you are either thinking about picking up these habits or do them on occasion. You do this to keep fit and healthy and prevent disease.

But what if one of the most common movement disorder just happened out of the blue. One in 20 Americans currently faces bouts on a daily basis and although not life-threatening, the disorder has the potential to seriously disable someone.

Essential tremors is a nerve disorder that is likely a faulty communication between nerves and the thalamus. It is commonly associated with genetics but isn’t always directly related. Symptoms of essential tremors include uncontrollable shaking of any or all of the following: tongue, chin, larynx, head, hands, arms or the upper-body. In rare cases, these can also affect a person’s balance.

If essential tremors are so common and scary, why is it relatively unknown? The cause isn’t airtight and there is simply no way to prevent them. That’s why March is National Essential Tremor Awareness Month.

Each year, the International Essential Tremor Foundation (IETF) creates a theme surrounding ET Awareness Month. This year’s theme is “basketball” – the idea being that the IETF is relying on assists from people and to challenge those to assemble a team of 5 people to join the IETF.

On the International Essential Tremor Foundation website, you can find ways to bring awareness to your community, watch webinars on the subject and send donations.

This March, consider a custom imprinted March Basketball product to keep to the theme of National Essential Tremor Awareness Month and college basketball championships.

 

Women’s History Month 2013: Celebrating Women in Science, Tech & More

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Each March, Women’s History Month is sponsored by the Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Park Service and more. This year’s theme is “Women Inspiring Innovation through Imagination,” which specifically honors women who have made contributions to science, technology, engineering and mathematics throughout history.

Custom Printed Striped Economy Tote Bag

Women’s history has been celebrated in America since 1981. At the time, a week was designated to this awareness initiative. Then, in 1987, congress designated the entire month of March as “Women’s History Month.”

Eighteen women were chosen as 2013 honorees. According to the National Women’s History Project (NWHP), they ”represent a remarkable range of accomplishments and a wide diversity of specialties including medicine, robotics, computer programming, atmospheric chemistry, architecture and primatology.” They include (but are not limited to):

  • Hattie Elizabeth Alexander, pediatrician and microbiologist
  • Katharine Burr Blodgett, physicist and inventor
  • Rita R. Colwell, molecular microbial ecologist and scientific administrator
  • Dian Fossey, primatologist and naturalist
  • Julia Morgan, architect

Their work spans centuries, but each of these women is an inspiration.

The NWHP has created a brochure to help spread the word about National Women’s History Month this March. Alternatively, consider handing out Women’s History Month gifts at your store or in your community.

Love All Things Peanuts? March is Your Month!

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If you’re anything like me, you go crazy for anything containing peanuts. Peanut butter? Love it. Peanut brittle? Fantastic. Chicken in peanut sauce? Sure, why not.

Peanuts in the Shell - Large Round Top Header Bag

But did you know that March is National Peanut Month? That’s right; even if you’re a peanut fanatic, you probably don’t realize how important the peanut is in the United States. Let’s take a look at some statistics, courtesy of the National Peanut Board:

  • Americans eat approximately 1.5 billion pounds of peanut products (including peanut butter) each year
  •  U.S. presidents Thomas Jefferson and Jimmy Carter were both peanut farmers
  • 40 percent of the top candy bars in the U.S. contain peanuts or peanut butter

Celebrate everyone’s favorite nut (which is actually a legume) by handing out your favorite peanut treats or other National Peanut Month giveaways!

Now, you may be thinking, “This all sounds great, but I’m allergic to peanuts!” If you fall into this category, why not help build awareness about the potential dangers of peanut allergies? Millions of people across the world are also allergic, so education is very important.

African American History Month

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Did you know that February is African American History Month? The month-long observance, supported by several U.S. organizations including the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Smithsonian Institute, pays tribute to African Americans throughout history who overcame adversity to be seen as full citizens in America.

The awareness event began as “Negro History Week” in 1925. According to African American History Month’s official website, the week-long initiative “encompassed the birthdays of both Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass.” The public responded in an overwhelmingly positive way, and by 1950, “Negro History Week had become a central part of African American life and substantial progress had been made in bringing more Americans to appreciate the celebration.”

In 1976, President Gerald R. Ford expanded the program to a month, officially giving life to African American History Month.

Custom Printed African-American Historical Ruler

Let’s take a look at some famous figures in black history:

1. Sojourner Truth

Sojourner Truth was born a slave, but was able to escape. Known for her “Ain’t I a Woman?” speech, she was an advocate for freed slaves after the Civil War. Truth spoke of feminism and racial equality.

2. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Perhaps the most well-known civil rights activist, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., is famous for seeking equality for African Americans. He helped organize historic events like the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the March on Washington. King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in the year 1964.

3. Rosa Parks

According to History.com, “The leaders of the local black community organized a bus boycott that began the day Parks was convicted of violating the segregation laws.” When Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white man, it sparked a lot of positive change for the African American community.

Who are some other important people in African American history?

This Valentine’s Day, Help End Violence Against Women

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Did you know that one in three women on the planet will be either raped or beaten in her lifetime? That means approximately one billion women across the globe have been violated, a statistic that’s equally shocking and unsettling.

One Billion Rising

February 14, 2013 marks the 15-year anniversary of One Billion Rising, a worldwide campaign to end violence against women, promote justice and achieve gender equality. The awareness initiative calls on one billion women and men across every country to “walk out, dance, rise up, and demand an end to this violence.” Because together, we can form a revolution.

How can you help spread the word? One Billion Rising offers a comprehensive tool kit for planning an event. Ideas include sharing information across the social web, making signs and posters, organizing a dance party and more.

Help put an end to the atrocity. Be one of the one billion that rise up this Valentine’s Day.