National Nurses Week begins each year on May 6 (National Nurses Day) and ends on May 12, the birthday of Florence Nightingale. See link below for more information.

Monthly Events

Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. A celebration of Asian and Pacific Island culture and heritage. May was named Asian and Pacific Island Heritage Month by President George H.W. Bush in 1990. The month is celebrated with community festivals, government-sponsored activities, and educational activities.

Brain Tumor Awareness Month. The House of Representatives declared May “National Brain Tumor Awareness Month” in 2008, in response to the brain tumor diagnosis of Sen. Edward Kennedy, (1932-2009). For more information on brain tumor issues, go to the North American Brain Tumor Coalition Web site, www.nabraintumor.org.

Better Sleep Month. Sleep is essential to a healthy life, but 95 percent of Americans report difficulty sleeping at some time in their lives. Infants require 12–14 hours of sleep, whereas seniors may require only 6–8 hours. For tips on getting the sleep you need, go to http://www.medicinenet.com/sleep/article.htm.

National Arthritis Month. Some 46 million Americans are living with arthritis, the nation’s leading cause of disability. The Arthritis Foundation encourages people with arthritis to stay active and exercise 20–30 minutes a day, three times a week or more. Avoiding a sedentary lifestyle is important. For more information, go to www.arthritis.org.

Weekly Events

Be Kind to Animals Week, May 2-8. This annual tradition, sponsored by the American Humane Association, celebrates the role that animals play in our lives, and it encourages everyone, especially children, to treat them humanely.

National Nurses Week, May 6-12. National Nurses Week begins each year on May 6 (National Nurses Day) and ends on May 12, the birthday of Florence Nightingale. This year’s theme: “Nurses: Caring Today for a Healthy Tomorrow.” For more information, go to the American Nurses Association Web site, www.nursingworld.org

Food Allergy Awareness Week, May 9-15. Approximately 12 million Americans suffer from food allergies, wh.ich are caused when the immune system mistakenly attacks a food protein, triggering the sudden release of chemicals and resulting in symptoms of an allergic reaction. Sponsored by the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network, www.foodallergy.org.

National Bike to Work Week, May 17-21. Lots of communities have encouraged people to start biking to work, which helps both their health and our environment. In 2008, more than 10,000 tried biking to work in Denver during Bike to Work Week, and one in five became regular bicycle commuters.

Daily Events

Cinco de Mayo,May 5. "May 5 Cinco de Mayo marks the victory of the Mexican Army over the French at the Battle of Puebla." For more information see http://clnet.ucla.edu/cinco.html

Mother's Day, May 9. On May 9, 1914, Woodrow Wilson proclaims the first Mother'a Day holiday. For more information see http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/woodrow-wilson-proclaims-the-first-mothers-day-holiday

Memorial Day (USA) May 31, "Memorial Day, which is observed on the last Monday of May, commemorates the men and women who died while in the military service." For more information, see http://www1.va.gov/opa/speceven/memday/