It’s the end of the year and now is a great time to set up your marketing and programming opportunities for 2012. An easy way to do this is to look at each moth and write a list of special days, weeks and months that you can market, celebrate or create niche programming. There are national, state, and local designated days, weeks and months that are a great way to connect with your members and the community. Here are some examples for the first six months of 2012. I will post the next six months next week.
January
Month Designation: Fat-Free Living Month, Diet Month, National Be On-Purpose Month, National High-Tech Month, National Personal Self- Defense Awareness Month, National Prune the Fat Month, and Oatmeal Month.
Weeks of Importance within the Month: National Lose Weight/Feel Great Week, New Year’s Resolution Week, Be Good to Yourself Week, and Healthy Weight Week.
Special Days: New Year’s Day and Super Bowl Sunday.
February
Month Designation: American Heart Month, Creative Romance Month, Black History
Month, Sign Up for Summer Camp Month, and Wise Health Consumer Month.
Weeks of Importance within the Month: Random Acts of Kindness Week, and
National Cardiac Rehabilitation Week.
Special Days : Women’s Heart Health Day, Groundhog Day, National Girls
and Women in Sports Day, Opening Ceremony for Winter Olympics, Valentine’s
Day, Presidents’ Day, Student Volunteer Day, Mardi Gras, and Lent begins, National Children’s Dental Health Day
March
Month Designation: American Red Cross Month, National Nutrition Month, National Women’s History Month, Cataract Awareness Month, and National Kidney Month.
Weeks of Importance within the Month: Girl Scout Week, Juvenile Arthritis Awareness Week, and Children and Healthcare Week.
Special Days : Good Samaritan Involvement Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Absolutely Incredible Kid Day, Doctor’s Day, and Spring Begins.
April
Month Designation: National Occupational Therapy Month, Stress Awareness Month, Month of the Young Child, and National Youth Sports Safety Month.
Weeks of Importance within the Month: Alcohol-Free Weekend, National Public Health Week, National Volunteer Week, Donor Awareness Week.
Special Days : April Fool’s Day, International Children’s Book Day, World Health Day, National Siblings Day, Passover, Easter, Boston Marathon, Earth Day, WalkAmerica, Fun at Work Day, and Alcohol Awareness Day.
May
Month Designation: Older American’s Month, Correct Posture Month, Date Your
Mate Month, Mental Health Month, National Arthritis Month, National Bike Month, National High Blood Pressure Education Month, National Physical Fitness and Sports Month, and Women’s Health Care Month.
Weeks of Importance within the Month: National Safe Kids Week,
National PTA Teacher Appreciation Week, Running and Fitness Week, National Hospital Week, and National Osteoporosis Prevention Week.
Special Days : May Day, National Employee Health and Fitness Day, National Senior Health and Fitness Day, Kentucky Derby Day, Mother’s Day, Memorial Day, and Children’s Miracle Network.
June
Month Designation: Cancer from the Sun Awareness Month, and National Safety Month.
Weeks of Importance within the Month: Stepparents Week, Pet Appreciation Week, National Headache Awareness Week, and National Men’s Health Week.
Special Days : Father’s Day
Shawn Stewart is the Operations Manager at Gainesville Health and Fitness Center. Contact him at shawns@ghfc.com
This is nice but it would be more beneficial to have the dates for those observances that take place for a week or day. Thanks!