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For 14 years, one event in Eastern Jackson County has focused on families and increasing time families spend with one another, and this year is no different.
Nominations are being accepted for the 2012 Jackson County Family of the Year. The award is part of Jackson County Family Week, April 22 to 28. Nominees will be recognized during the Family of the Year Banquet April 17.
“When families teach, train and care for their children and other family members, the home becomes a source of strength, self-reliance and independence,” said Diane Mack, founder of Family Week. “As the family becomes stronger, so do schools and communities.”
Family Week started as a small event at Cordill-Mason Elementary School in Blue Springs in 1998. Mack said the goal was the same then as it is now, to focus on “putting families first” and to help families increase their time together.
Family of the Year is at the center of the event. Since its was created, more than 500 families have been recognized. Any family living in Jackson County is eligible to be nominated. Nominations should be between 100 and 200 words and center on the theme of “putting families first.” Lists of community involvement, employment successes or outside extracurricular activities should be avoided. The focus of the nomination should be the family’s commitment to each other and their interactions. Any nomination that is more than 200 words will be accepted and the family will be invited to the reception. However, they will not be included in the judging.
All nominated families will receive a gift bag. The Family of the Year will receive additional prizes, all geared toward spending time together as a family. Nominations are due by March 23.
The week is full of contests and activities such as the Scavenger Hunt, sponsored by Blue Springs Parks and Recreation Department, and the art and essay contest. There is also the Family Time contests, which allows families to enter contests at various businesses depending on how much they increase their weekly family time.
Families complete an entry form for each 30 minutes they spend together as a family during the week. They can then be returned to participating businesses for a chance to win a prize, valued at more than $200.
Family Week is funded through the Friends of the Family program, which replaced the annual golf tournament several years ago. The program offers $150 sponsorships to area businesses. In return, businesses receive a Friends of the Family decal to display and they will be listed as a sponsor on the Jackson County Family Week website. Because research shows that families tend to visit family-friendly businesses more often, Friends of the Family businesses are also encouraged to offer in-store family specials or in-house family activities during the week and throughout the rest of the year.
Nominations can be e-mailed to Jacksoncountyfamilyweek@yahoo.com or mailed to Family of the Year, PMB 271, 790 W. U.S. 40, Blue Springs, MO 64015. More information about Family Week, Family of the Year and becoming Friends of the Family is available on the website at www.jacksoncountyfamilyweek.org. For questions about Friends of the Family, call 816-228-1795, ext. 4.
For 14 years, one event in Eastern Jackson County has focused on families and increasing time families spend with one another, and this year is no different.
Nominations are being accepted for the 2012 Jackson County Family of the Year. The award is part of Jackson County Family Week, April 22 to 28. Nominees will be recognized during the Family of the Year Banquet April 17.
“When families teach, train and care for their children and other family members, the home becomes a source of strength, self-reliance and independence,” said Diane Mack, founder of Family Week. “As the family becomes stronger, so do schools and communities.”
Family Week started as a small event at Cordill-Mason Elementary School in Blue Springs in 1998. Mack said the goal was the same then as it is now, to focus on “putting families first” and to help families increase their time together.
Family of the Year is at the center of the event. Since its was created, more than 500 families have been recognized. Any family living in Jackson County is eligible to be nominated. Nominations should be between 100 and 200 words and center on the theme of “putting families first.” Lists of community involvement, employment successes or outside extracurricular activities should be avoided. The focus of the nomination should be the family’s commitment to each other and their interactions. Any nomination that is more than 200 words will be accepted and the family will be invited to the reception. However, they will not be included in the judging.
All nominated families will receive a gift bag. The Family of the Year will receive additional prizes, all geared toward spending time together as a family. Nominations are due by March 23.
The week is full of contests and activities such as the Scavenger Hunt, sponsored by Blue Springs Parks and Recreation Department, and the art and essay contest. There is also the Family Time contests, which allows families to enter contests at various businesses depending on how much they increase their weekly family time.
Families complete an entry form for each 30 minutes they spend together as a family during the week. They can then be returned to participating businesses for a chance to win a prize, valued at more than $200.
Family Week is funded through the Friends of the Family program, which replaced the annual golf tournament several years ago. The program offers $150 sponsorships to area businesses. In return, businesses receive a Friends of the Family decal to display and they will be listed as a sponsor on the Jackson County Family Week website. Because research shows that families tend to visit family-friendly businesses more often, Friends of the Family businesses are also encouraged to offer in-store family specials or in-house family activities during the week and throughout the rest of the year.
Nominations can be e-mailed to Jacksoncountyfamilyweek@yahoo.com or mailed to Family of the Year, PMB 271, 790 W. U.S. 40, Blue Springs, MO 64015. More information about Family Week, Family of the Year and becoming Friends of the Family is available on the website at www.jacksoncountyfamilyweek.org. For questions about Friends of the Family, call 816-228-1795, ext. 4.
