Logan honors families
Gov. Michael Leavitt and his wife, Jackie, came to Logan on Thursday in behalf of the city’s first Family Week.
“Families are our link to the past and our bridge to the future,” Jackie said.
The Leavitts reinforced the importance of family as part of the GIFT Conference (Governor’s Initiative on Families Today). Jackie talked about a survey given to 1,500 high school students that asked, “What makes a happy family?” The No. 1 answer revealed in the survey results was spending time together as a family. Jackie encouraged the audience members to spend at least one meal a day with their families.
The governor said families should joke together, because it brings them closer.
“We want to build families, because families make for a strong society,” he said.
The keynote speaker at the conference was Gary Wilden, “Dr. Fun.” Wilden used audience participation activities to show how parents, teachers and children can have fun together. He concluded by saying it is fun for children to see their parents act like kids.
Mayor Doug Thompson and the Logan City Council designated Nov. 2 through 9, 2002 as “Logan City Family Week” in a proclamation. The proclamation recognizes the importance of family in the United States. The governor designated November as Utah Family Month in conjunction with National Family Week.
In 1972, a bill establishing Family Week passed in the U.S. House of Representatives, and every president since that time has issued a Presidential Proclamation for National Family Week, according to www.familyweek.org, the official Web site for the week.
“Family Week is important for everyone,” said Sharilee Guest, chair of Logan’s Promise, the city’s goal to create a better future for youth.
Family Week was created to celebrate the family unit. Guest said family is the key during a busy time of life. The week began with family service day Nov. 2. Some local church groups focused their Sunday meetings on the importance of strengthening the family.
Monday, Nov. 4, families were encouraged to create a “family flag” to display in the windows of their homes. Nov. 5 was set aside for organizations to plan activities promoting a focus on families. Nov. 6, local businesses offered group rates for different family activities and dining. Nov. 7 was the governor’s conference at Mt. Logan Middle School. Nov. 8 was “Tellebration 2002,” featuring nationally acclaimed storyteller, Susan Marie Frontczak. To finish off the week, Nov. 9 was “Family Recreation Day,” which included the 5K Polar Bear Family Fun Run and the USU football game.
“I want this week to be a kickoff for the whole year,” Guest said.
Guest is bringing different workshops to Logan to help promote family togetherness each month of the year until next November, when Logan’s Family Week can start the cycle all over again.
-eedavis@cc.usu.edu