A reminder that May is National High Blood Pressure Education Month. Don't put off getting your blood pressure checked. It could save your life.

Monthly Events

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. For more information on brain tumor issues, go to the North American Brain Tumor Coalition Web site, www.nabraintumor.org.

Electrical Safety Month A good time to review your electrical safety practices at work and in the workplace. The Electrical Safety Foundation International reports: “Home electrical problems account for nearly 55,000 home fires every year. These fires cause over 500 deaths, injure more than 1,400 people, and account for $1.4 billion in property damage.” Go to www.esfi.org for more details.

Get Caught Reading Month The Association of American Publishers’ campaign to promote reading. Get Caught Reading Month features celebrities and public figures “caught reading” their favorite books. See www.getcaughtreading.org.

National Bike Safety Month Established by Congress in 1956. Bicycles are a $5.8 billion industry, as estimated by the National Sporting Goods Association in 2006. For ideas, go to the League of American Bicyclists Web site, www.bikeleague.org.

National High Blood Pressure Education Month Thousands of people with high blood pressure don’t realize they have this potentially dangerous condition. For health information, see the Web site of the National Heart, Blood, and Lung Health Information Center, www.hnlbi.nih.gov.

Weekly Events

Be Kind to Animals Week, May 3-9 Promoting ways to treat animals humanely and commemorating the role they play in our lives. Sponsored by the American Humane Association, www.americanhumane.org

National Women’s Health Week, May 10-16 Coordinated by the Office on Women’s Health (Department of Health & Human Services), the theme of the 2009 National Women’s Health Week is “It’s Your Time.” Go to www.womenshealth.gov/whw/

Cover the Uninsured Week, May 23-30 About 18,000 to 22,000 Americans die each year because they don't have health coverage, according to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which sponsors activities and action to support and draw attention to the uninsured. Go to www.covertheuninsured.org

Daily Events

Mother’s Day, May 10 Observed the second Sunday of May, by proclamation of President Woodrow Wilson in 1914. A time to celebrate and appreciate all mother's.

International Nurses Day, May 12 Celebrated on the birthday of Florence Nightingale. The theme for the 2009 is “Delivering quality, serving communities: Nurses leading care innovations.” See the International Council of Nurses Web site, www.icn.ch.

Memorial Day, May 25 Celebrated in the United States of America to remember those who gave all for their country.