October President’s Message
It is October, the weather has finally cooled down and some of the local trees are putting on a colorful array of oranges, yellows and reds. The stores are full of both spooky and cute displays in their efforts to tempt us into buying costumes and candy. Did you know that in 1916 Christmas and Easter were the two main times of year for candy manufacturers? They wanted to increase their sales in the fall so they came up with the idea of the “Sweetest Day” to link candy and friendship together. It was held on the second Saturday in October. This continued until the 1940’s when people decided maybe they should hand out candy on Halloween instead, in hopes of decreasing the number of tricks being played.
Some people began spending hours decorating their homes just to make kids happy while the children were gathering their treats. According to 365 Ways to Give, “When you give, you create a ripple effect of positive change in the world. Your acts of giving inspire others to give back too, building a stronger connected community.”
Research shows giving makes you happy and increases your physical and mental wellbeing.
Of course, I don’t think this is news to any of our members, you are giving just by being a part of ALNC and our programs.
So you might think of continuing the idea of the “Sweetest Day” by reaching out to others: which might include donating candy to those who could use a smile, or to a place like Ronald McDonald House, or UNICEF, or some of our local military personnel.
Wishing you all a fun Halloween and hope to see you at Beverly Charles’ home on the 29th for our October Social.
posted October 22, 2024
