In New Jersey, a day or a week equals a cause

In New Jersey, summer doesn't just bring the dog days.

In June, July and August there's also Delaware Bay Day, National Airborne Day and Toms River East Little League World Champions Day (Aug. 29, if you're planning ahead).

Those are just some of the 80-plus honorary days, months and weeks New Jersey lawmakers have put on the books to raise awareness, commemorate acts and honor causes, including the patriotic (Liberty Day), the obscure (Credit Union Day) and the redundant (New Jersey Day).

It's a long-standing tradition among elected officials, including those in Pennsylvania and Congress.

New Jerseyans' calendars may get even more crowded. Each year, dozens of proposals are introduced to label additional dates. The current batch would add more designations to recognize veterans, heighten awareness of little-known medical conditions (can you say Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Awareness Week?) and show appreciation for school bus drivers.

"It comes under the heading of, shall we say, not indispensable, but harmless legislative activity," said Assemblyman Rick Merkt (R., Morris).

While the names may be odd or arcane, lawmakers said the designations are beneficial.

"It doesn't cost us anything. It just helps these organizations draw attention to their needs," said Sen. Joseph Vitale (D., Middlesex).

Vitale, who chairs the Senate Health Committee, is sponsoring a resolution to turn March into Deep-Vein Thrombosis Awareness Month. He said a committee hearing on the proposal taught lawmakers about the blood-clotting condition, which, according to the resolution, causes 600,000 Americans to be hospitalized each year.

There are now about 20 designations in New Jersey to draw attention to medical causes or conditions, such as organ donation, lung cancer and Alzheimer's disease.

Honors for the military are among the most common. There's Women Veterans Awareness Month, Vietnam Veterans' Remembrance Day, P.O.W.-M.I.A. Week of Remembrance, Parents of Fallen Military Sons and Daughters Day, Veterans' Month, Korean War Veterans' Day and Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day.

Albert Bucchi knows off the top of his head that P.O.W.-M.I.A. Day is the third Friday in September. That's when Assemblyman Jack Conners (D., Burlington) hosts a breakfast for more than 600, honoring prisoners of war and those who never returned from combat, said Bucchi, legislative director for the Veterans of Foreign Wars Department of New Jersey and a member of VFW Post No. 3020 in Delran.

"It's helped us as an organization bring a face on the issue to continue to get the funding we need," Bucchi said.

The state has at least four dates for firefighters, police or first-aid squads, three marking Nazi atrocities and one to note the emancipation of African Americans.

One plan that apparently has met its demise: Handwashing-Awareness Month, which failed for the third consecutive time last session and has not been re-introduced.

Some months seem to attract all the action.

May leads the way, with eight designations, including recent additions naming it eyeglass recycling month, motorcycle awareness month, Lyme disease awareness month and fibromyalgia month.

There are another 14 daily or weekly designations in May. In fact, only seven May dates were unclaimed this year, neither "days" nor parts of awareness weeks.

April has six "month" labels and November has five.

Several lawmakers said they couldn't explain why the honors would bunch up, but Vitale suggested that groups probably want nice weather for their activities.

No one has yet laid month-long claims to January, July, August or December, though each has at least one special day.

There is a race on for October, with one proposal pushing to name Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 Hispanic Heritage Month and another to name October Italian American Heritage Month. (The week before Columbus Day is already dedicated to the latter cause.)

Former Assemblyman Neil Cohen (D., Union) was a primary sponsor on both resolutions. He also backed a successful call to name April Jewish Heritage Month.

Other cultural recognitions include Black History Month, Irish American History and Heritage Week and Diwali Month, marking the Indian Festival of Lights.

"Each group has a cause, and for them that's a very important day," said Assemblyman John Burzichelli (D., Gloucester). "Some people on the outside might look at it and say, 'Why would you do that?' I think it's the other way around. Why wouldn't you do that?"

In Pennsylvania, about half of the more than 360 resolutions introduced in the Senate this session were to designate an official day, week or month, said Erik Arneson, a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi (R., Delaware).

"It's a hook" for publicity, Arneson said. "A local chapter of the organization can get on local radio or get an op-ed in local newspapers to speak on the issue."

Similar resolutions move through the U.S. Capitol, too. In February, the House of Representatives took up a measure to congratulate the New York Giants on their Super Bowl victory. It passed, 412-1, over the objection of freshman Rep. Patrick Murphy (D., Pa.).

Murphy explained to the Bucks County Courier Times that he is a lifelong Eagles fan.

He told the paper: "I couldn't, in good conscience, vote for the New York Giants."