AUGUST IS… Aug 1-31 “Children’s Vision and Learning Month”: To remind people of the important role that good vision plays in a child’s ability to read and learn. Call 314-991-4007. Email covded@sbcglobal.net. Web: www.covd.org.
August 1-31 “Get Ready for Kindergarten Month”: A celebration to support a happy entry into kindergarten. Going into kindergarten is a life-changing event not only for the child, but also for parents, siblings, and educators. Call Katie Davis 914-244-8777. Email office@getreadyforschool.com. See www.getreadyforkindergarten.com.
Aug 1-31 “Happiness Happens Month”: 9th annual celebration to encourage people to express happiness and discourage parade-raining. Sponsored by the Secret Society of Happy People. Call 972-459-7031. Email pamelagail@sohp.com. See www.sohp.com.
Aug 1-31 “National Inventors Month”: Celebrating the importance of new inventions that improve the quality of our lives. Call Joanne Hayes-Rines 617-367-4540. Email info@inventorsdigest.com. Web: www.investorsdigest.com.
Aug 1-31 “National Win With Civility Month”: When we are civil to each other we confirm our worth and acknowledge the worth of others. Call Thomas Danaher 702-384-7376. Email thomasdanaher04@yahoo.com.
August 1 “Girlfriend’s Day”: Celebrate by taking your girlfriend(s) shopping, to a play, to the movies, out to eat, to the spa and/or to the park. A fun sumber party is also recommended. Call Thema Martin 404-849-1249. Email thema_martin@hotmail.com.
Aug 1-3 “Twins Day Festival”: Twinsburg, OH. This is the World’s largest gathering of twins. 33rd festival. Call 330-425-3652. Email info@twinsdays.org. Web: www.twinsdays.org.
Aug 2-4 “Canmore Folk Music Festival”: Canmore, AB. 31st annual. Alberta’s longest-running folk festival. Call 403-678-2524. Email info@canmorefolkfestival.com. See www.canmorefolkfestival.com.
Aug 3 “Sisters Day”: Celebrating the spirit of sisterhood. May include biological sisters, sorority sisters, sisterly friends, etc. Call Tricia Eleogram 901-681-2145. Email Eleogram@aol.com.
Aug 3-9 “Single Working Women’s Week”: This week we celebrate the single woen who make the modern world a better place – and who find the money, time and energy to lovingly support others. Call 312-416-7965. Email info@swwan.org.
Aug 4 “Civic Holiday”: The first Monday in August is observed as a holiday in seven of Canada’s 10 provinces (Manitoba, New Brunswick, Northwest Territories, Ontario, Saskatchewan have Civic Holiday. It is called British Columbia Day in BC and Heritage Day in Alberta).
Aug 4-8 “Psychic Week”: Either invite a local psychic into the control room and have some fun on the air, or phone a different psychic each day "live on the air" and when they don't answer saying “Hi [insert your name and your station name]”, hang up on them as they can't be very good. After all, shouldn’t they know who it is?
Aug 7 “Particularly Preposterous Packaging Day”: Buy anything lately? Did you succeed in getting the durn thing open? For info call Thomas & Ruth Roy 717-279-0184. Email info@wellcat.com.
Aug 7 “Professional Speakers Day”: A day celebrating the consummate professionals who help people through their oratorical skills. Call Jim Barber 954-476-9252. Email jim.barber@thebarbershop.com. See www.professionalspeakersday.com.
Aug 7-10 “Edmonton Folk Music Festival”: Gallagher Park, Edmonton, AB. Folk music and fun for the entire family. Call 780-429-1899. Email fadmin@efmf.ab.ca. Web: www.edmontonfolkfest.org.
Aug 8-10 “Abbotsford International Airshow”: 46th annual. Leading air show in North America attracts the world’s top aeronautical performers. Email info@abbotsfordairshow.com or see www.abbotsfordairshow.com.
Aug 8-16 “Halifax International Busker Festival”: Halifax, NS. Street performers and artists from around the world, vaudeville nights and entertainment tent. Call 902-429-1068. Email jessica@espproductions.ca.
Aug 8-24 “Games of the XXIX Olympiad”: Beijing, China. More than 12,000 athletes and 3,000 officials will attend the 2008 Summer Olympics, featuring more than 302 events in 28 different venues. Call 719-866-4500. Email media@usoc.org. See www.beijing2008.cn/.
Aug 9-17 “Elvis Week”: Over 75,000 fans invade Graceland and Memphis for the hundreds of events that are organized. He died Aug 16, 1977. Call Graceland at 1-800-238-2000 or www.elvis.com. Payphones near the ticket-line: 901-345-9847, 901-332-9416, 901-332-9442. Also, call the 'Elvis' McDonalds Restaurant (in Tupelo-his birthplace) 601-844-5505.
Aug 10 “National DURAN DURAN Appreciation Day.” This is a day for everyone to enjoy the underrated beauty of ‘80s rock icons, Duran Duran. For info email Matt Kennedy at xprufrock@yahoo.com.
Aug 10-15 “Weird Contest Week": It happens in Ocean City, New Jersey. Artistic pie eating, French fry sculpting, wet t-shirt throwing and more. They have a different contest daily, so call Mark Soifer, the PR Director of Ocean City at 609-525-9300, or email MTSoifer@aol.com for some great stories.
Aug 12 “Vinyl Record Day”: Favourite songs can bring back fond memories and Vinyl Record Day encourages celebrating these music memories with family and friends. The day also seeks to recognize the tremendous cultural influence that vinyl records and album covers have had for more than 60 years and the need to preserve that audio history. Call Gary Freilberg 888-644-4567. Email gary@VinylRecordDay.org.
Aug 14-24 “Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival”: Edmonton, AB. A ten-day extravaganza of new plays, old plays, dance, music, mime and street entertainment. Call 780-448-9000. Web: www.fringetheatreadventures.ca.
Aug 15 “Best Friend’s Day”: Celebrate this special day by doing something fun with your best friend. Call Thema Martin 404-849-1249. Email thema_martin@hotmail.com. See www.cosmocompany.com.
Aug 16 “Joe Miller’s Joke Day”: Joe is believed to be the first person ever to publish a joke book. Joe was a comic actor who worked at the Drury Lane Theatre and he published a 70-page book [247 Jokes] called “Joe Miller’s Jests” in England in 1739. It was revised and expanded hundreds of times and the last printing contained 1,500 jokes. A great opportunity to launch your own joke book, with money going to charity.
Aug 18 is "Bad Poetry Day". Compose some really bad material and read it on the air, or have people call in with the worst material, or read a few lines of well-known poems [visit your local library] and have callers tell you what you're really saying.
Aug 21-24 “Ottawa Folk Festival”: A four-day celebration of acoustic music on the banks of the Ottawa River, featuring North America’s finest folk performers. Call 613-230-8234. Email festival@ottawafolk.org.
Aug 22 “Be An Angel Day”: Encourage people to do “one small act of service for someone” today. For more information on this day call Rev Jayne Howard-Feldman at 410-833-6912. Email earthangel4peace@aol.com. Web: www.earthangel4peace.com.
Aug 25 “Secondhand Wardrobe Day”: Although a secondhand wardrobe is both economically and ecologically sound, buying and wearing used clothing is generally not viewed in a positive light. The purpose of this day is to encourage thrift store donations and to remove the stigma of previously owned clothing and accessories by providing information about the cost benefits, skills required and pleasures of buying secondhand.
Aug 26 “National Dog Day”: More people have dogs for pets than any other animal in the country. Here is one day to recognize and honour them for their love, loyalty and lifesaving skills. Call 306-297-7886. Email info@nationaldogday.com.
Aug 31 “Whitechapel Murders Begin: Anniversary”: Aug 31, 1888. The body of Mary Ann Nichols was found – believed to be the first in a series of brutal murders that autumn by a killer who has come to be known as “Jack the Ripper” because of the mutilations he inflicted on his victims. |