US VIRGIN ISLANDS, St Thomas – Governor Albert Bryan Jr. has proclaimed the month of September Attendance Awareness Month, Labor and Management Awareness Month, Ovarian and Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, National Preparedness Month and National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month.
Additionally, during the month of September, Virgin islanders are being asked to recognize West Indies Solidarity Day, Patriot Day, Gold Star Mothers and Family Day, Maroon Commemorative Day and National Grandparents Day.
Statistics show that children living in poverty are two to three times more likely to be chronically absent, and education is the last chance for children living in poverty to break that cycle. Because students who attend school regularly have been shown to achieve at higher levels than students who do not attend school regularly and other positive outcomes result when there is regular school attendance, the month of September is proclaimed Attendance Awareness Month in the Virgin Islands.
The month of September is also being recognized as Labor and Management Awareness Month, as the Territory remains committed to investing in and developing key areas in workforce development and to attracting Virgin Islanders living abroad to return to the Territory.
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men and is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths among men in the United States. As both ovarian and prostate cancers require increased awareness and education to promote early detection and effective treatment, September 2024 is proclaimed Ovarian and Prostate Cancer Awareness Month in the Virgin Islands.
Because suicide is a serious public health issue in the Virgin Islands and across the United States, the Virgin Islands reaffirms its commitment to increasing access to mental healthcare and services and implementing best practices regarding suicide prevention in healthcare systems and programs. As a result, September 2024 is proclaimed National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month in the Virgin Islands.
Urging Virgin Islanders to take concrete action towards furthering their preparations for emergencies and disasters during National Preparedness Month. the Virgin Islands Territorial Emergency Management Agency (VITEMA), FEMA’s Ready Campaign, Citizen Corps, and various agencies are collaborating to promote public engagement in emergency preparedness and to educate individuals on ways to take action. In recognition, September is proclaimed National Preparedness Month in the US Virgin Islands, and all residents are asked to develop their own emergency preparedness plan and work together to create a more prepared Territory.
The final Sunday of each September is designated as Gold Star Mother’s and Family’s Day. This day honors and appreciates Gold Star mothers and families who have endured the ultimate sacrifice – losing loved ones in the service of the United States Armed Forces. The Virgin Islands recognizes the sacrifice that all Gold Star family members make when a father, mother, brother, sister, son, daughter, or other loved one dies in service to the Nation. Sunday, September 29, 2024, has been designated as Gold Star Mother’s and Family’s Day in the Virgin Islands.
As the United States Virgin Islands have always been intricately intertwined with neighbouring parts of the West Indies through shared culture, ancestral ties, and a collective heritage and that shared history, challenges, and triumphs have bound us together inextricably, Monday, September 2, is proclaimed “West Indies Solidarity Day” in the United States Virgin Islands.
The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, are forever inscribed in our memories as a day of mourning for the 2,977 lives that were needlessly and senselessly lost at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and in Somerset County, PA. Seven St Croix natives lost their lives during the attacks. In remembrance of the lives lost and in support of grieving families, Wednesday, September 11 is designated as Patriot Day 2024: A Day of Remembrance in the US Virgin Islands.
In 1979 president Jimmy Carter signed the first National Grandparents’ Day Proclamation, recognizing the first Sunday in September after Labor Day as National Grandparents Day. As grandparents and children can have a special connection that is proven to both make grandparents live longer and also make children more emotionally resilient, Sunday, September 8, 2024, has been proclaimed National Grandparents’ Day in the US Virgin Islands.
In the northwest portion of St Croix, cliffs and steep slopes were helpful aides for the maroons’ freedom as they rejected slavery and created independent communities during Danish rule. Under the Byran-Roach administration, legislation was approved that created a Territorial Park System to implement the Maroon Sanctuary Zone on the West End of St Croix.
Saturday, September 28, 2024, is proclaimed Maroon Commemorative Day in the US Virgin Islands. Citizens of the Territory are urged to honour their maroon ancestors and to reflect on the maroons’ self-determination and how it has shaped the history and identity of Virgin Islanders.
Lieutenant Governor Tregenza A. Roach, Esq. signed the September proclamations in his capacity as acting governor, while Governor Bryan was out of the Territory attending the Democratic National Convention.
The Bryan-Roach administration is investing in the Territory’s people, infrastructure and future through transparency, stabilizing the economy, restoring trust in the government and ensuring that recovery projects are completed as quickly as possible.
