Celebrate Hamden Family Day

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Town of Hamden Celebrates Family Day - A Day to Eat Dinner with Your Children

Mayor Craig B. Henrici has issued a proclamation designating the fourth Monday in September, September 24, 2007 as Family Day- A Day to Eat Dinner with Your Children.

Family Day is a national movement that encourages parents to frequently eat dinner with their kids and be actively involved in their children's lives and reminds parents that what their kids really want at the dinner table is THEM!

To help put a spotlight on Family Day, The Hamden Community Services Department and Hamden Youth Services Bureau is presenting An Evening of Food, Art & Fun on Monday, September 24, 2007 in The Keefe Community Center gym, 5:30 - 7 PM.

The evening will start with a light dinner followed by a family home décor project – the creation of decoupage plates. Instruction will be facilitated by P.L.A.C.E. Art Studios and Artist Lisa Keith.

This event is free and made possible by funding through PACK (Parents and Communities for Kids) which is supported by a partnership of the Wallace Foundation, The Community Foundation of Greater New Haven and The William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund.

As an added incentive for families to eat together the following Hamden restaurants have generously offered various discounts and specials on Monday, September 24, 2007 – just mention “Family Day”:

Applebee's - 2400 Dixwell Avenue, 10% discount
Eli's Brick Oven Pizza -2402 Whitney Avenue and Eli's on Whitney- 50% discount and free soda and ice cream for children under twelve
Paul and Eddy's – 1630 Whitney Avenue, 10% discount
Sorrento's – 244 Skiff Street, 20%discount
The Playwright – 1232 Whitney Avenue, 15% discount
Three Brothers Diner – 1030 Dixwell Avenue, 10% discount

The more often children and teens eat dinner with their families the less likely they are to smoke, drink or use drugs. The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University created Family Day - A Day to Eat Dinner with your Children in 2001.

Family Day is celebrated on the fourth Monday of September. The Town of Hamden encourages all residents to celebrate Family Day by eating dinner together with your family on Monday, September 24, 2007 and every day.

Participate in the PACK event at The Keefe Community Center, eat dinner at one of the participating Hamden restaurants that are offering discounts or specials or enjoy a home cooked meal together as a family. More importantly, talk with your kids. During dinner, turn off the TV and let your answering machine record incoming calls. Involve the entire family in planning and cooking meals. If your schedules make it impossible to eat dinner together, try having breakfast together.

For additional information about Family Day and the current research and statistics on frequent family dinners together, please visit www.CASAFamilyDay.org or call the Hamden Youth Services Bureau at 777-2610.

###
Hamden Youth Services Bureau 11 Pine Street Hamden, CT 06514
(203) 777-2610 Fax (203) 562-3498
CONTACT: Susan Rubino
E-MAIL: srubino@hamden.com