First Lady Ann McCrory Highlights Family Day | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Press Release:

Mrs. McCrory Joins Numerous First Spouses to Celebrate

    Raleigh, N.C.     First Lady Ann McCrory is encouraging parents throughout the state to spend time with their children today and every day in honor of "Family Day" in North Carolina.

    Family Day is a national initiative created in 2001 by CASAColumbia, a science-based organization focused on effective solutions to address addiction and substance use. The day is celebrated on the fourth Monday of September each year and was also recognized by the first lady in 2013.

    "With today's demanding schedules, it's difficult to find the extra half hour of time to engage children, but the children of our state are worth it. A weekly family dinner is a wonderful tool for engagement. It's also important for engagement to occur among a child's relatives, friends, teachers, classmates and neighbors," Mrs. McCrory said. "Substance abuse is a deadly, dangerous problem, but if you are aware of your children's daily activities, captivate their attention, and remind them of your loving presence, you can reduce the chances of substance abuse."

    Mrs. McCrory and many other first spouses are this year's honorary Family Day chairs. The complete list of spouses may be found here.

    Substance abuse prevention and treatment is one of Mrs. McCrory's platforms as First Lady of North Carolina. She has paired up with the nonprofit Durham Rescue Mission on several occasions to volunteer and offer support of its mission to provide safe shelter, addiction recovery programs and more to people in need in the Triangle area.

    The first lady is also encouraging parents to take the Family Day STAR pledge. To take the pledge, click here.

    For a copy of Governor Pat McCrory's Family Day proclamation, click here.

• Contact: Crystal Feldman
•     govpress@nc.gov