Category: March Weeks

• WORLD GLAUCOMA WEEK – Second Full Week in March

  WORLD GLAUCOMA WEEK

  The second full week in March sets the stage for World Glaucoma Week, bringing awareness to a health condition that could impact as many as 111 million people around the world by 2040. Early detection is an important goal of the awareness campaign, as glaucoma is the world’s second foremost cause of blindness.

  The four main types of glaucoma are:

  • primary open-angle glaucoma – the most common type of glaucoma and is usually caused by too much pressure within the eye
  • primary angle-closure glaucoma – caused when the iris blocks drainage from the eye
  • secondary glaucoma – either open-angle or closed-angle and another condition causes drainage to be interrupted
  • developmental glaucoma – occurs in infants and children, usually the result of increased pressure in the eye

  While everyone is at risk for glaucoma, some carry more risk factors than others. Do you fall into one of these higher-risk categories?

  • African Americans are 6-8 times more likely than Caucasians to develop glaucoma
  • Glaucoma risk goes up with age. By the age of 60, the chances of developing glaucoma increase six-fold.
  • It’s hereditary. If family members have developed primary open-angle glaucoma, you’re more likely to develop it, too.
  • Other ethnic groups, such as older populations of Hispanics and Asians, are also at higher risk.

  HOW TO OBSERVE #WorldGlaucomaWeek

  See your optometrist for an eye exam and glaucoma test. Early detection is critical. Know your family history, too. Take preventative action to decrease your risk. Learn more about glaucoma and its symptoms, also. Use #WorldGlaucomaWeek to share on social media.

  WORLD GLAUCOMA WEEK HISTORY

  In 2010, the World Glaucoma Association and the World Glaucoma Patient Association established World Glaucoma Week to create a platform for those with interest in improving eye health to understand the devastating effects of glaucoma better.

  February 26, 2020

  •

  National Day Calendar

  •

  March Weeks

• GROUNDWATER AWARENESS WEEK – First Full Week in March

  GROUNDWATER AWARENESS WEEK

  Groundwater Awareness Week during the first full week in March provides essential information regarding the primary source of clean water around the world. The observance raises awareness of the importance of preserving and protecting groundwater resources for drinking, bathing, recreation, agriculture, medical uses, and much more.

  Groundwater is located below the Earth’s surface, between rock and soil.

  Groundwater Facts:

  • 71% of the Earth is water, but only 1% is useable.
  • Of the useable water on Earth, 99% of it is groundwater.
  • According to the American Water Works Association, 26% of household water use is for toilet flushing.
  • Ogallala, the largest U.S. aquifer, stretches 250,000 square miles and encompasses eight states from South Dakota to Texas.
  • According to the CDC, approximately 145 million Americans access their tap water from a groundwater source.
  • An estimated 43 million Americans get their water from groundwater wells.

  Protecting groundwater is a growing concern. As the population grows, the demand for clean water increases. While naturally occurring chemicals and bacteria exist in groundwater, humans are more likely to contaminate groundwater sources.

  HOW TO OBSERVE #GroundwaterAwarenessWeek

  Learn how to preserve groundwater and prevent it from becoming contaminated. Follow these tips:

  • Conserve Water
    • Don’t let the faucet run when brushing teeth or washing dishes.
    • Reduce shower times to 5 minutes.
    • Wash full loads of laundry.
    • Water the lawn during the coolest parts of the day.
    • Fix leaky faucets and toilets.
  • Protect Water
    • Landscape with native plants. Native plants thrive in their natural environment and require less watering. The roots act as natural filters and prevent soil erosion.
    • You’ll also use fewer chemicals. Reduce your need for chemicals and dispose of them appropriately. Contact your local waste management for appropriate disposal.
    • Use natural cleaners whenever possible. Baking soda, vinegar, lemon juice do a fantastic job of cleaning all surfaces of a home safely.

  Learn more about groundwater and how it affects you. Use #GroundwaterAwarenessWeek to share on social media.

  NATIONAL GROUNDWATER AWARENESS WEEK HISTORY

  The National Groundwater Association sponsors National Groundwater Awareness Week and promotes the week with educational resources and information to inspire the next generation to protect groundwater for ages to come.

  T

  February 26, 2020

  •

  National Day Calendar

  •

  March Weeks

• NATIONAL INVEST IN VETERANS WEEK – March 1-7

  NATIONAL INVEST IN VETERANS WEEK

  National Invest In Veterans Week is observed each year from March 1 through March 7. During the week, we honor aspiring and established veteran business owners and their contributions to the economy.

  According to the Small Business Administration, small business firms owned by veterans employed 5.03 million people, had an annual payroll of $195 billion and receipts of $1.14 trillion. Representing only 9.1 percent of all U.S. businesses, veterans have an unquestionable invaluable impact on economic ecosystems nationwide.

  HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalInvestInVeteransWeek

  Celebrate the week by recognizing aspiring and established veteran entrepreneurs. Want to show your support for veteran business owners during National Invest In Veterans Week? Consider the following tips:

  • Promote Veteran-Owned Businesses on Social Media.
  • Buy from Veteran-Owned Businesses.
  • Host a workshop for aspiring veteran entrepreneurs.
  • Nurture Veteran Startups (Grants, Fundraisers, Complimentary B2B Services, Award-Ceremonies).
  • Partner with a veteran-owned business.
  • Host a gathering of Veteran-Owned Businesses.
  • Mentor a veteran entrepreneur.
  • Promote National Invest In Veterans Week via social media.
  • Petition local legislators to honor veterans during National Invest In Veterans Week.
  • Visit www.investinveteransweek.com to see how you can get involved and learn more about the mission of National Invest In Veterans Week.

  Share your favorite veteran entrepreneur or veteran business on Social Media using #NationalInvestInVeteransWeek.

  NATIONAL INVEST IN VETERANS WEEK HISTORY

  

  In 2019, National Football League veteran Drayton Florence and nationally syndicated columnist and Iraq War veteran Jeff Shuford founded National Invest In Veterans Week, intending to empower the public to invest in the veteran population through veteran-owned business sustainment, educational development, and mental health empowerment.

  Along with the launching of numerous veteran-focused innovations, the award-winning veteran-owned technology company Tech From Vets launched National Invest In Veterans Week. “National Invest In Veterans Week puts veteran business owners in the driver’s seat of their enterprises,” stated Lieutenant Colonel Rickey L. Pope, Army, USA, Retired.

  Whether celebrating the week or empowering veterans to start and grow their business enterprises, there are many ways to observe and celebrate National Invest In Veterans Week.

  The staff at National Invest In Veterans Week would like to formally thank the South Carolina Senate and the South Carolina Senate Family and Veterans Services Committee for passing H 3825 commemorating National Invest In Veterans Week.

  The Registrar at National Day Calendar® proclaimed the celebration in July of 2019 to be observed March 1-7, annually.

  July 23, 2019

  •

  National Day Calendar

  •

  March Weeks, Military

• NATIONAL SURVEYORS WEEK – Begins Third Sunday in March

  NATIONAL SURVEYORS WEEK

  National Surveyors Week every year starts with the third Sunday in March and aims to educate the public through classroom contact, media, and visible public service.

  Surveying has advanced civilization since the beginning of recorded history. When cities grow, planning is necessary for most earth-bound projects. The building of the Great Pyramid at Giza in 2700 BC is one of the first examples in the history of land surveying. Surveying is also used in transport, communications, mapping, and the definition of legal boundaries for land ownership. Many scientific disciplines use this important tool for research, too.

  The Bureau of Labor Statistics says there are 43,400 surveyors in the United States. Surveyors are skilled or familiar with several fields. Some of those fields include geometry, trigonometry, regression analysis, physics, engineering, meteorology, programming languages, and the law. While the basics of surveying are the same, the tools of surveying today use more technology than they once used. Drones and lasers have replaced much of the telescope-on-a-tripod work. Remote sensing and satellite imagery continue to improve and become cheaper, allowing more commonplace use. One prominent new technology includes three-dimensional (3D) scanning.

  HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalSurveyorsWeek

  • Learn about surveying careers.
  • Share your experiences as a surveyor.
  • Mentor someone.
  • Invite an engineering firm to speak to your group or class.
  • Host a brown-bag lunch and have a surveyor speak at the lunch.
  • Visit www.nsps.us.com or Follow on Facebook
  • Follow on Social Media with #NationalSurveyorsWeek.

  NATIONAL SURVEYORS WEEK HISTORY

  President Ronald Reagan proclaimed National Surveyors Week on February 13, 1984.

  March 15, 2019

  •

  National Day Calendar

  •

  March Weeks, Technology & Communication

• GIRL SCOUT WEEK – Week of March 12

  GIRL SCOUT WEEK

  Girl Scout Week is celebrated each March, starting with Girl Scout Sunday and ending with Girl Scout Sabbath on a Saturday. It always includes Girl Scouts’ birthday, March 12. During Girl Scout Week, Girl Scouts of all ages celebrate by demonstrating courage, confidence, and character in ways that have a real impact on their communities.

  The Girl Scout slogan, which has been used since 1912, is “Do a good turn daily.”

  The history of the Girl Scouts dates all the way back to 1912 when Juliette Gordon Low met the founder of Boy Scouts, Sir Robert Baden-Powell in England. Upon Low’s return to her Georgia home, she knew she had to start a similar organization for girls. That same year, she gathered 18 girls together and told them all she had learned about this new outdoor and educational youth program. At the time, “Daisy” as many affectionately called her, was 51 years old and nearly deaf.

  The first small troop of Girl Scouts was culturally and ethnically diverse. This was a big deal, considering women were not even allowed to vote. These girls participated in basketball, hiking, and camping. More importantly, the girls lent a helping hand to those in need. They also worked together to improve the world around them. Since its small beginnings, Girl Scouts numbers have flourished in over 100 countries. There are currently 2.6 million Girl Scouts and more than 50 million alumni.

  The week focuses on what it means to be a Girl Scout and celebrates each and every individual scout who strives to improve the world around them.

  HOW TO OBSERVE #GirlScoutWeek

  • Learn more about Girl Scout history and founder, Juliette Gordon Low.
  • Memorize the Girl Scout Law.
  • Volunteer to be a Girl Scout Leader.
  • Tell the world what being a Girl Scout means to you.
  • Share your experiences with the Girl Scout organization or your events by sharing #GirlScoutWeek on social media.

  GIRL SCOUT WEEK HISTORY

  In 1912, Juliette Gordon Low officially registered the organization’s first 18 girl members in Savannah, Georgia.

   

  RELATED OBSERVANCES

  • National Girl Scout Day
  • Girl Scout Founder’s Day
  • National Boy Scouts Day

   

  March 8, 2019

  •

  National Day Calendar

  •

  March Weeks

• WEEK OF SOLIDARITY WITH THE PEOPLES STRUGGLING AGAINST RACISM AND RACIAL DISCRIMINATION – Begins March 21

  WEEK OF SOLIDARITY WITH THE PEOPLES STRUGGLING AGAINST RACISM AND RACIAL DISCRIMINATION

  Beginning March 21st each year, the Week of Solidarity with the Peoples Struggling Against Racism and Racial Discrimination raises worldwide awareness. This week recognizes the importance of communities and nations to strive towards racial equality and tolerance. It’s a call for the abolishment of laws and practices that encourage racism as well.

  The week begins with The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination on March 21st, recognizing a significant day in South African apartheid history. In 1960, peaceful demonstrators had gathered in Sharpeville concerning “pass laws” which controlled slave movements across the country. Police opened fire killing 69 people that day.

  HOW TO OBSERVE

  Read the original resolution that started the official observance. Be involved in your community and the decisions it makes with regards to discrimination. Learn about the influence of racism in different parts of the world, how it evolves and impacts populations.

  HISTORY

  In 1979, the United Nations General Assembly declared a Week of Solidarity with The Peoples Struggling Against Racism and Racial Discrimination beginning on 21 March. The first observance took place in 1980.

  March 8, 2019

  •

  National Day Calendar

  •

  March Weeks, Pop Culture & Lifestyle

• FIX A LEAK WEEK – End of March

  FIX A LEAK WEEK

  Fix a Leak Week is an annual reminder for people to check household plumbing fixtures and irrigation systems for leaks.

  The Facts on Leaks:

  The average household’s leaks can account for more than 10,000 gallons of water wasted every year, or the amount of water needed to wash 270 loads of laundry.
  Households leaks can waste more than 1 trillion gallons annually nationwide. That’s equal to the annual household water use of more than 11 million homes.
  Ten percent of homes have leaks that waste 90 gallons or more per day.
  Common types of leaks found in the home include worn toilet flappers, dripping faucets, and leaking showerheads.
  Fixing easily corrected household water leaks can save homeowners about 10 percent on their water bills.
  Keep your home leak-free by repairing dripping faucets, toilet flappers, and showerheads. In most cases, fixture replacement parts don’t require a major investment.

  HOW TO OBSERVE #FixALeakWeek

  Take a look at your water usage during a colder month, such as January or February. If a family of four exceeds 12,000 gallons per month, there are serious leaks.

  Check your water meter before and after a two-hour period when no water is being used. If the meter changes at all, you probably have a leak.

  Identify toilet leaks by placing a drop of food coloring in the toilet tank. If any color shows up in the bowl after 10 minutes, you have a leak. (Be sure to flush immediately after the experiment to avoid staining the tank.)
  Examine faucet gaskets for any water on the outside of the pipe to check for surface leaks.

  Use #FixALeakWeek to share on social media.

  FIX A LEAK WEEK HISTORY

  Since March 2009, the Environmental Protection Agency has sponsored and organized Fix a Leak Week.

   

  March 8, 2019

  •

  National Day Calendar

  •

  March Weeks, Pop Culture & Lifestyle

• NATIONAL CLEANING WEEK – Begins Fourth Sunday in March

  NATIONAL CLEANING WEEK

  Beginning the fourth Sunday in March, National Cleaning Week shows up just in time for fair weather! Besides a clean home, it’s a week that can produce improved moods, decreased stress levels, and increased creativity. It’s a week to put away winter essentials and tidy up our homes to usher in a fresh start with spring.

  Clean Facts

  • The American Cleaning Institute says, on average, Americans spend approximately six hours per week cleaning their homes
  • 28 percent clean their homes more than seven hours per week
  • 26 percent clean between three and four hours per week
  • 10 percent clean less than one hour per week

  Our most dreaded of cleaning tasks:

  • cleaning the bathroom (52 percent)
  • kitchen cleaning (23 percent)
  • dusting (21 percent)
  • mopping (20 percent)
  • doing the laundry (17 percent)

  Cleaning History

  Some researchers trace the origin of spring cleaning to the Persian new year, which falls on the first day of spring. Iranians continue the practice just before the Persian New Year when everything in the house is thoroughly cleaned from drapes to furniture.

  Outer order contributes to inner calm. – Gretchen Ruben

  Another possibility has been suggested that the origins of spring cleaning date back to the ancient Jewish practice of thoroughly cleansing the home in anticipation of Passover.

  HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalCleaningWeek

  Clean. The folks at Home Team have these recommendations to make cleaning week less intimidating: Tackle one room at a time, start from the top and work down, dusting ceiling fans door moldings and window tops. Don’t be afraid to move furniture. Donate to thrift store those things you gather when you clean out closets, basements, and storage space. Use #NationalCleaningWeek and #CleaningWeek to follow and share your cleaning tips.

  NATIONAL CLEANING WEEK HISTORY

  We were unable to identify the source of National Cleaning Week.

  March 8, 2019

  •

  National Day Calendar

  •

  March Weeks, Pop Culture & Lifestyle

• NATIONAL AGRICULTURE WEEK – Changes Annually

  NATIONAL AGRICULTURE WEEK

  National Agriculture Week is devoted to educating people about where food, fiber, and fuel come from. Every year, producers, agricultural associations, corporations, universities, government agencies, and others join together to recognize the contributions of agriculture. National Ag Day falls during National Agriculture Week.

  Farm Facts

  • According to most recent U.S. Census Bureau statistics, 386,531 men are working as farmers and ranchers.
  • Additionally, 51,865 women are working as farmers and ranchers.
  • Today, a farmer grows twice as much food as his parents did – using less land, energy, water, and fewer emissions.
  • Today, the average U.S. farmer feeds 155 people. In 1960, a farmer fed just 26 people.
  • To keep up with population growth, more food will have to be produced in the next 50 years than the past 10,000 years combined.
  • U.S. farmers produce about 40 percent of the world’s corn, using only 20 percent of the total area harvested in the world.
  • According to the USDA, one acre of corn removes about 8 tons of carbon dioxide from the air in a growing season. At180 bushels per acre, corn produces enough oxygen to supply a year’s needs for 131 people.

  HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalAgricultureWeek

  • Attend a local Ag Day event hosted by Future Farmers of America, National Farm Bureau, or National Farmers Union.
  • Share your experiences with agriculture.
  • Host a webinar, seminar, or forum discussing agriculture.
  • Join a discussion about the future of agriculture.
  • Discover new technology that advances and improves agriculture.
  • Talk to a farmer.
  • Share events and photos using #AgWeek on social media.
  • Use the week to follow a new influencer, such as The Farmer’s Life or Farm Babe.
  • Download a new podcast, such as Agriculture Proud or The AgVocate.

  NATIONAL AGRICULTURE WEEK HISTORY

  The week-long celebration is organized each year by the Agriculture Council of America, a nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing the public’s awareness of agriculture’s role in modern society.

  March 5, 2019

  •

  National Day Calendar

  •

  March Weeks, Pop Culture & Lifestyle

• NANODAYS – Last Weekend in March through the First Weekend in April

  NANODAYS

  NanoDays is held from the last weekend in March through the first weekend in April and is a nationwide festival of educational programs. These programs feature nanoscale science, engineering, and its potential impact on the future. NanoDays events are taking place at more than 250 science museums, research centers, and universities across the country.

  What is Nano Technology?

  Nanometer-sized things are very small and often behave differently than larger things do. “Nano” means one-billionth. So, for example, a nanometer is one billionth of a meter. A human hair is approximately 80,000- 100,000 nanometers wide.

  Scientists and engineers have formed the interdisciplinary field of nanotechnology by investigating properties and manipulating matter at the nanoscale.

  HOW TO OBSERVE #Nanodays

  • Play the NanoDays song.
  • Host a brown-bag lunch with Dr. Sheldon Cooper, senior theoretical particle physicist or another physicist professor who can explain it in layman’s terms.
  • Download the Do-It-Yourself nanoscale science project kit.
  • Visit NanoDays on Facebook
  • Follow on social media by using #nanodays, or #nise
  • Build a giant balloon model of a carbon nanotube. (Real carbon nanotubes, which are 1/50,000th of the width of a human hair, have extraordinary strength and unusual electrical properties that make them useful in electronics and materials science.)

  NANODAYS HISTORY

  Participants in the Nanoscale Informal Science Education Network (NISE Net) organize NanoDays annually. The first NanoDays was held in North Carolina in 2008 by Dr. Gail Jones, a professor of science education at North Carolina State University. NCSU has the story on Dr. Jones.

  March 5, 2019

  •

  National Day Calendar

  •

  March Weeks, Science