Walk to School Day

October 5 Walk to School Day

2011 Walk to School Day slogan: Hike it! Bike it! I like it!

Drive Safely Work Week

October 3-7 Drive Safely Work Week

Focus. Safe driving is serious business.

Drive Safely Work Week (DSWW) is the Network of Employers for Traffic Safety's (NETS) annual workplace safety campaign, providing a turnkey way to remind employees about safe driving practices.

The 2010 campaign materials focus on the dangers of distracted driving, particularly as related to the use of cell phones and texting. The program provides meaningful activities to:

• Help prepare an organization for the launch of a new cell phone policy;
• Reinforce an existing policy; or
• Build awareness of the issues related to distracted driving and help develop strategies to minimize distractions.

The DSWW tool kit has everything needed to launch a successful campaign:

• Activities for each day, including interactive, electronic-based tools
• Daily communications messages
• Downloadable graphics

The DSWW campaign has been sponsored by the Network of Employers for Traffic Safety (NETS) since 1996. Although the national observance of the campaign takes place each year during the first week of October, the materials are not dated and can be used throughout the year for continued promotion of safe driving practices.

Founded in 1989, NETS is a non-profit partnership of socially responsible public and private organizations dedicated exclusively to traffic safety in the workplace.

Mental Illness Awareness Week

October 2-8 Mental Illness Awareness Week

In 1990, the U.S. Congress established the first week of October as Mental Illness Awareness Week (MIAW) in recognition of NAMI's efforts to raise mental illness awareness. Since 1990, mental health advocates across the country have joined together during the first full week of October in sponosoring many kinds of activities.

MIAW has become a NAMI tradition. It presents an opportunity to all NAMI state organizations and affiliates across the country to work together in communities to achieve the NAMI mission through outreach, education and advocacy.

The MIAW Idea Book suggests activities that can be incorporated into planning for the fall. Stickers, posters and a web banner to use on websites or in documents are available for download in English and Spanish.

The National Day of Prayer for Mental Illness Recovery and Understanding is Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2011. Special resources for outreach to faith communities also can be downloaded.

Start your MIAW preparation now and begin changing attitudes, changing lives!

October Awareness

October 7, 2011 – World Smile Day

A smiley, or happy face, is a stylized representation of a smiling human face.

October 12-20 Bone & Joint Decade National Action Week

October 15, 2011 – Sweetest Day

Sweetest Day commonly involves women giving their husband or boyfriends candy.

October 16 World Food Day

October 23-31 Red Ribbon Week

World Heart Day

September 29, 2011 is World Heart Day


For more information ....


http://www.world-heart-federation.org/what-we-do/awareness/world-heart-day

National School Backpack Awareness Day

September 15, 2011 is National School Backpack Awareness Day 

For more information.... http://www.aota.org/Practitioners/Awareness/School-Backpack-Awareness.aspx

AOTA's National School Backpack Awareness Day™

On the third Wednesday of each September, we celebrate the American Occupational Therapy Association’s National School Backpack Awareness Day™! Join AOTA and occupational therapy practitioners, educators, and students across the country on September 21^st as we help others Live Life To Its Fullest by avoiding the pain and injury that can come from heavy backpacks and bags.

Students, parents, educators, school administrators, and community members will learn safety tips to stay protected from back pain throughout life. You have the chance to help by organizing local events and educating people of all ages about proper bag usage. Teach others how to properly choose, pack, lift, and carry various types of bags—including backpacks, purses, briefcases, and suitcases. Check out the event planning tips and strategies available below.

If you are a consumer, click here for tips on packing and carrying bags and backpacks.

Have an idea that you want to share with others, or get advice on how to host your own Backpack Day event? Visit the Backpack Forum on OT Connections.

If you are a member of the media looking for backpack research and ergonomic tips, please contact AOTA's media relations manager Beth Mullen at praota@aota.org or 301-652-6611 x2963.

Note: The backpack logo and the terms “National School Backpack Awareness Day™” and “Pack It Light, Wear It Right™” are trademarks of the American Occupational Therapy Association.

• Strategies for a Successful Backpack Day Event

September Awareness

National Yoga Awareness Month

September is the official National Yoga Month (a national observance designated by the Department of Health & Human Services) designed to build awareness of yoga's proven health benefits and provide people with actionable guidance and tools to enhance their own well-being. This grassroots awareness campaign inspires both youths and adults to take responsibility for their well-being by focusing on prevention and healthy lifestyle choices.

Yoga Month Introduces yoga and its proven health benefits to individuals new to yoga by offering the One Week Free Yoga new student program at studios across the country and beyond.

Yoga Month Fosters participation by identifying opportunities to practice yoga with a Yoga Studio Finder and Event Finder. 

Yoga Month Unifies the entire yoga community with The Time for Yoga*, a global community yoga practice. 

Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month

Get the Facts. Recognize the Signs. 

Prostate Cancer Awareness Month

Awareness, Education, Motivation and Screening

Whole Grains Month

September is whole grains month and every year the Whole Grains Council celebrates with special events and promotions all month. This year, the 2011 Whole Grains Month will be better than ever, with a special contest for consumers.

2011 CONTEST: THE WHOLE GRAINS STAMPEDE

Thirty Stamps in Thirty Days. That's the slogan of our 2011 Whole Grains Month contest, called the Whole Grains Stampede. It's easy: simply cut the Whole Grain Stamp symbol from at least 30 packages, stick 'em in an envelope, and send them to us (we'll tell you where and when, a bit later).

Fruit & Veggies More Matters Month

September is Fruit & Veggies More Matters Month


http://www.fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov/spotlight.html

September marks the beginning of the school year and it's also Fruits & Veggies — More Matters™ month. This is a time when CDC joins other public and private organizations to promote eating fruits and vegetables for better health. CDC has developed a kit,Explore the World with Fruits and Vegetables, for teachers, public health professionals, and dietitians to use with children to spark their interest in fruits and vegetables. It explores cuisines from different parts of the world, and provides activities to use in geography, math, and social studies classes. The kit includes a guide, poster, recipe cards for adults and children, worksheets, and a brochure.

Printed materials for this campaign are available through the Produce for Better Health Foundation. Please call 888-391-2100 or visit www.pbhcatalog.org* for more information.

Color Your Plate!

A plate that includes colorful vegetables is not just appealing to the eye. A wide variety of produce also provides your body with a number of health promoting benefits, such as vitamins, minerals and fiber. It’s important to eat a wide variety of colorful vegetables and fruits every day.

The following table gives examples of some of the seasonal vegetables and fruits you are likely to find in local markets during the fall months.

Fresh, in-season vegetables include:		Fresh, in-season fruits include:
Beets Broccoli Brussels Sprouts Cabbage Carrots Cauliflower Collards	Eggplant Pumpkin Snow Peas Spinach Winter Squash Sweet Potatoes Turnips	Apples Bananas Clementines Cranberries Grapes Grapefruit Kiwi	Kumquat Oranges Pears Persimmons Pomegranates Quinces Tangerines

For suggestions on ways to prepare many vegetables and fruits see our Fruit & Vegetable of the Month.

Related Resources

Fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org*
Visit the Produce for Better Health Foundation's website for helpful tips, recipes and additional information about fruits and vegetables.

USA Family Health & Fitness Day

September 24, 2011 USA Family Health & Fitness Day 


In honor of this Family Health & Fitness Day we are having a Employee & Family Hike. It will be at the Gotto in Payson Canyon. 


Meet at the Gotto entrance at 9am. 


Remember to bring your own water. 

National Immunization Awareness Month

August is National Immunization Awareness Month. 


Take a look at the below for more information:

National Immunization Awareness Month

Sponsor: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases

National Immunization Awareness Month is the perfect time to promote immunizations and remind family, friends, and coworkers to get caught up on their shots.

Immunizations (or vaccinations) aren’t just for babies and young kids. We all need shots to help protect us from serious diseases and illness. Everyone over age 6 months needs a seasonal flu shot every year. Here are some other shots people need at different ages:

Young children:

• Children under age 6 get a series of shots to protect against measles, polio, chicken pox, and hepatitis.

Preteens:

• All 11- and 12-year-olds need shots to help protect against tetanus, diphtheria, whooping cough, and meningitis.
• Doctors recommend girls also get the HPV vaccine to protect against the most common cause of cervical cancer.

Adults:

• All adults need a tetanus shot every 10 years.
• People age 65 need a one-time pneumonia shot.
• Talk to your doctor or nurse about which shots you and your family need.

Also see....

http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/

Happy Parent's Day

July 22, 2011 is Parent's Day. To all those parents and those parent figures - Happy Parent's Day!