Happy Grandparents Day!
Grandparents Day can be traced back to the first national Grandparents Day in 1978. With the efforts of Hermine B. Beckett Hanna, of North Syracuse, New York, who started the process in 1961 and was recognized by Congressman Jim Walsh, of New York in front of the U.S. House of Representatives. Marian McQuade of Oak Hill, West Virginia has also been recognized nationally by The United States Senate, in particular Senator Alphonse D’Amato, and President Carter as the founder of National Grandparents Day. McQuade made it her goal to educate the young in the community to the important contributions senior citizens have made, and to the important contributions they are willing to make if asked. She also urged the young to adopt a grandparent, not for one day a year, not for material giving, but for a lifetime of experience and caring just waiting to be shared with others.
In 1973 Senator Jennings Randolph (D-WV) introduced a resolution in the Senate to make Grandparents Day a national holiday. Five years later in 1978, Congress passed legislation proclaiming the first Sunday after Labor Day as National Grandparents Day and then-President Jimmy Carter signed the proclamation.The statute cites the day’s purpose as: “… to honor grandparents, to give grandparents an opportunity to show love for their children’s children, and to help children become aware of strength, information, and guidance older people can offer.”
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