All - Leep Calendar

During Hot Dog Month, more hot dogs are consumed in July than any other month due to the nationwide prevalence of hot dog contests. Hosted by the National Hot Dog Council, an estimated 7 billion hot dogs are eaten between Memorial Day and Labor Day. During the 4th of July celebration, more than 150 million are enjoyed. Comfort food to many Americans, hot dogs got their name when Tad Dorgan (1877-1929), an American cartoonist, had difficulty spelling "dachshund sausage," the original moniker. As a fix, he penned this sausage as "hot dog" in one of his sketches.

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Jul

Ice Cream Month, Ntl.: July

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During National Ice Cream Month, ice cream lovers try unique flavors and innovative approaches to enjoying ice cream. National Ice Cream Month was signed into law on July 9, 1984, by President Ronald Reagan through Presidential Proclamation 5219, after Senator Walter Dee Huddleston sponsored the Joint Resolution 298 on May 17 of the same year. National Ice Cream Month is sponsored by the International Dairy Foods Association in acknowledgment of the importance of dairy farmers and the products they produce.

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Jul

Irrigation Month, Smart: July

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The Irrigation Association organizes Smart Irrigation Month. This month is a commitment to promoting efficient irrigation and ensuring the long-term sustainability of water resources for future generations.

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Jul

Juvenile Arthritis Awareness Month (US): July

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The Arthritis Foundation sponsors National Juvenile Arthritis Awareness Month in the United States in July, and Canada observes it in March. Though most people associate arthritis with aging, it affects all ages, and two-thirds of people with arthritis are under the age of 65. Several severe forms of arthritis occur in teenagers and people in their 20s and 30s. Arthritis Awareness Month is a multi-year campaign geared at debunking the myths of arthritis. Campaigns include The Faces of Arthritis featuring public service ads focusing on the harsh realities of arthritis and dispelling the common stereotypes often associated with the disease. Arthritis is the leading cause of disability in the United States and affects 50 million people, 20% of the population or one in five adults. The United Kingdom has an arthritis care awareness week in mid-May, and Canada has set aside September as its arthritis awareness month. The Arthritis Foundation also sponsors Arthritis Awareness Month in May.

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Jul

Kindergarten Month, Get Ready for: July

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The first day of school is an exciting time for parents and children. Each year 2 million children enter the education system through Kindergarten. This month is about helping parents and children prepare for this important day. An unsponsored version of this month occurs in August as well.

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Jul

Lost Pet Prevention Month, Ntl: July

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A family pet is lost every two seconds in America, with July 5th being the day with the most entering shelters due to July 4th fireworks. One in three pets will be lost during their lifetime, with only 10% ever found, and fewer than this making it home again. PetHub created National Lost Pet Prevention Month in 2014 to educate pet parents on best practices in keeping their pets home safe. And the tools available to find them should they become lost.

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Jul

MAGA Month: July

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MAGA Month originated with a company marketing MAGA paraphernalia and is promoted by far-right acolytes in Congress and the media. MAGA disciples are encouraged to purchase and wear these products while flying American flags throughout the month. WHAT IS MAGA? Being conservative or a Republican does not make a person MAGA; however, nearly all MAGA people self-identify as conservative and Republican. MAGA, or "Make America Great Again," is the acronym mantra of the far-right authoritarian movement in the United States loyal to the 45th President, who was twice impeached and defeated in the 2020 presidential election. In November 2022, their leader announced he was again running for President, despite being impeached twice and indicted on an ever-growing list of criminal charges in the United States. MAGA purists promote a version of the United States based on extreme white Christian nationalism, misogyny, xenophobia, and conspiracy theories. Their vision seeks to eliminate or curtail environmental protections and civil rights while reorganizing support for the arts and education. The movement is hostile to the media, scientific, and historical facts, and Puritanical in its strict definitions of who and what is American, an attitude best displayed in its zealotry in banning information and selective historical revisionism. MAGA devotees believe they are victims and support democracy, yet their actions work against it. They are staunchly pro-gun, pro-forced birthing, and vocal in their disgust of government-funded social programs supporting families, individuals, and marginalized communities. Ironically, the states with the highest concentration of MAGA supporters are the states that benefit the most from government-funded social programs, illustrating an overt cognitive dissonance within the movement. FROM MOVEMENT TO CULT Supporters of MAGA, a movement created during the 2016 American presidential election, embrace all ten symptoms of a cult. 1) Their leader is their ultimate authority: lies are truth, and the truth is lies. 2) Skepticism is squashed. 3) Delegitimization, public ridicule, and shaming are used on all persons who speak against the group. 4) Paranoia, conspiracies, and a belief in victimization are prevalent. 5) MAGA followers reject anything that doesn't fit their narrative, shaming or threatening violence to hold the line. 6) They believe their beloved leader, the 45th president, is above the law. 7) Thought and opinion reinforcement occurs through a media ecosystem supporting their views; communication includes a unique language and symbols like "Let's go, Brandon" and "RINO." Anything not approved by the cult is labeled fake news, conspiracy, or lying. 8) There is little or no financial transparency. Money is sent to support specific actions, like a legal fund, and diverted to other uses. 9) MAGA devotees believe they're the only true Americans, pure patriots, and above all others. 10) Rallies, rituals, and rites are part of the social construct necessary to support group-think and inclusion. You're either in or out, loyal or not. PHILOSOPHY AUGMENTATION Disciples of MAGA treat the US Constitution the same way they treat parables in The Bible, using the lens of literalism. Rather than take the words in the context of the times and according to their historical writing styles, MAGA's interpretation is absolutist and politically informed by groups created in response to the rise of the mid-late twentieth-century civil rights movement. These groups include the John Birch Society (1958), the Cato Institute (1977), the Heritage Foundation (1973), and the Federalist Society (1982). Unlike its name, the Federalist Society has very little in common with the Federalist Papers it purports to represent. The others advocated for "freedom" and "liberty," nubilous descriptions of Orwellian euphemisms. Propagandists love the ambiguity of words like freedom and liberty because they're easy to rally behind, and each person has their definition. DISTORTION OF FAITH The MAGA version of Christianity relies on an absence of tolerance, an idea in direct contrast to the teachings of Jesus Christ. MAGA culture nurtures a belief of an impending armageddon, in which only they are "saved" via an idea invented in 1832 called "the rapture." This belief of impending doom plays a significant role in a MAGA disciple's positions on various issues, including the environment, vaccines, foreign affairs, immigration, education, etiquette, and societal support. It comes from an offshoot of Christianity that began in the 19th century called dispensationalism, which became the primary belief system of evangelicals upon publishing the Scofield Reference Bible in 1908. For dispensationalists and MAGA enthusiasts, the faster the world ends, the sooner they will be saved. Why work to make the world better? These are the End Times, they believe. A WELL-WORN PATH The rise of MAGA and its cult following falls in line with authoritarian movements of the early-mid 20th century. 1) Xenophobic attitudes create a threat via the "other" to rally support behind a common cause. 2) Extreme nationalism. 3) Promotion of violence. 4) Distrust of media, academia, and the sciences. 5) Loyalty to a person over the state. 6) Isolation and attacking minority groups. 7) Black-and-white thinking. These delegitimizing tactics leveled at a democratic government are well-documented steps to authoritarianism. Whether MAGA devotees realize it (most do not), they are a cult, and the path they seek to pave destroys democracy. MAGA Month exists to market to this cult and assists in its objectives. For more information on cults, see: https://medium.com/@zelphontheshelf/10-signs-youre-probably-in-a-cult-1921eb5a3857 https://freedomofmind.com

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Jul

Make a Difference for Children Month: July

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A month to remind people of all the ways adults can be a positive influence on a child's life. Make a Difference for Children Month occurs each year in July, and this event first ran in 2006.

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Jul

Minority Mental Health Month: July

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Mental illness affects one in five adults and one in ten children in America, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). It is a leading cause of disability, yet nearly two-thirds of people with a diagnosable mental illness do not seek treatment. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, racial and ethnic groups in the United States are even less likely to seek help. During National Minority Mental Health Month, encourage your family, friends, loved ones, and clients to learn more about improving mental health and its illnesses.

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Jul

Parks & Recreation Month, Ntl.: July

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National Parks and Recreation Month focuses on the importance of parks and their contribution to the quality of life. Parks provide a venue for relaxation, socialization, and exercise. Throughout the month, parks hold activities within their served communities.

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Jul

Pet Hydration Awareness Month, Ntl.: July

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Your pet is 80% water, and compare that to a human who is at 60%. Like you, animals get heat exhaustion and heat stroke; unlike you, many cannot sweat to cool down. Healthy pets need 1 ounce of water for each pound of body weight. PetSafe, noting that many pets are dehydrated during the summer months, declared Nation Pet Hydration Awareness Month to educate pet parents about this serious threat to their furry, feathered, and scaled children. Image: On the British company camps (compounds) in Saudi Arabia, residents erect dog water stations like this. Covered to provide shade, they help protect dogs in heat up to 52 degrees Celcius or 125 degrees Fahrenheit.

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Jul

Picnic Month, Ntl.: July

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July is National Picnic Month in the United States, by custom rather than a mandate. Traditionally, picnic food is home-cooked or bought at a market and set up in an outdoor location for family members, organizations, or parties. The origin of picnicking is aristocratic, and these outdoor banquets were popular social events for the elite during the renaissance. The year 1692 was the first time the word picnic appeared in print in French. Today, picnics are an outdoor meal with two or more people.

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Jul

Plastic Free July: July

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Join 170+ countries worldwide in observing Plastic Free July, an event created in Australia in 2011. Participants refuse to use single-use plastic items during the month. Examples include straws, forks, plastic bags, plastic bottles, and cups. Take the month to think about the plastic you use and don't reuse. Each item that doesn't end up in our oceans or landfills is a win!

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Jul

Roadside Traffic Safety Awareness Month, Ntl.: July

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July through October are the most dangerous months for traffic fatalities. National Roadside Traffic Safety Awareness Month seeks to reduce deaths and injuries due to accidents and among pedestrians, who are far likelier to be fatally struck by vehicles at night, and accidents overall. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) indicates that three of the four deadliest holiday weekends occur during summer: Memorial Day, Fourth of July, and Labor Day Weekends. Alcohol-impaired driving is a factor in 29% of fatal crashes; the percentage rises significantly on holiday weekends.

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Jul

Social Wellness Month: July

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Social Wellness Month promotes awareness of tactics that improve social relationships. Words of Wellness champion it. People volunteer to improve their social relationships; some call friends they have not communicated with for a long time or join a club that improves socialization.

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