Leon County Establishes Family Day Holiday

Leon County Establishes Family Day Holiday

First Community in Florida Designates Day Recognizing Importance of Family 

Last week, Leon County Government issued a resolution establishing Florida's first "Family Day" communitywide holiday observed the Friday after Thanksgiving beginning this year. The County invites other organizations, businesses, and institutions to acknowledge the day and honor families at a time when many are together for the holidays. 
 
“Unanimously supported by the Board, Commissioner Brian Welch’s proposal to establish Florida’s first Family Day elevates Leon County’s spirit of community and livability for families of all kinds,” said Leon County Commission Chairman Rick Minor. “All of us who call the Capital County home know it is a great place to raise a family, and now our annual Family Day can help spread the word throughout our region and beyond.” 
  
“It’s wholly appropriate for this great community to be the first place in Florida to celebrate families in all of their forms, every day, and this designated Family Day holiday will make it official,” said Leon County District 4 Commissioner Brian Welch. “Family is the most important thing in my life and I am proud to live, work and serve in a community that supports a day completely dedicated to spending time with those we love.”  
 
Established in 1979 as an Arizona state-recognized holiday, the purpose of Family Day is to bring families together to share love and appreciation for one another. The following states also recognize Family Day: Arizona, Georgia, Nevada and North Carolina. Nevada celebrates Family Day the day after Thanksgiving while other states recognize the holiday in early August.    Additionally, the following countries recognize some version of Family Day: Angola, Canada, South Africa, Thailand, Vanuatu and Vietnam. 
 
“By recognizing Family Day, Leon County builds on our ongoing efforts to showcase our community as a great place to live, work, raise a family, and also retire and recharge,” said Leon County Administrator Vincent S. Long. “As one of Southern Living Magazine’s best communities in the South, we have so much to offer families and their visitors, especially around the holidays.” 
  
As part of Family Day, following immediately after Thanksgiving when many families have visiting members from other locations, the County will promote local destinations and attractions to encourage families to spend time together in the community.  As the holiday approaches, the Office of Economic Vitality (OEV) will invite area businesses to host family-friendly activities in stores so families can share quality time while also supporting local businesses.  These efforts build upon initiatives like OEV’s Love Your Local, Black Friday, and Small Business Saturday. 
 
Ron Sachs, Founder/CEO of Sachs Media, suggested making Family Day a holiday for Leon County. Sachs, who moved his family from Miami in 1990 because Parents Magazine ranked Tallahassee/Leon County one of the 10 best places in America to raise a family, said his adopted hometown continues to be “the best place in Florida to live, work, raise a family, learn, visit, retire, or start a business.”  
  
“For a family with three little girls back then, I came here for the community -- and then found a job and an entire new life,” he said. “By celebrating families in every form, we hope to demonstrate that this community respects every family’s values and also values families.” 
 
Conversations have already begun with the President of the Florida Association of Counties to share the Leon County holiday with the other 66 counties statewide. 
 
For more information, contact Mathieu Cavell, Leon County Community and Media Relations, at (850) 606-5300 / CMR@LeonCountyFL.gov.