Press Release: Governor Blagojevich Proclaims July16-23 La Leche Leage International Week in Illinois
July 10th, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 12, 2007
Contact:
Jacque Shannon-McNulty
Board of Directors, Chicago Community Midwives
jacque(at)chicagocommunitymidwives(dot)org
GOVERNOR BLAGOJEVICH PROCLAIMS JULY 16-23
LA LECHE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL WEEK
CHICAGO- Governor Rod Blagojevich has declared July 16-23 La Leche League International Week in Illinois in honor of the small group of mothers in the 1950s who formed the breastfeeding support group that grew into La Leche League International.
Governor Blagojevich and First Lady Patty Blagojevich have expressed consistent public support for breastfeeding as the optimal method of infant feeding to improve infant and child health in Illinois. The Governor’s Proclamation is a continuation of his policies aimed at promoting and encouraging breastfeeding in Illinois.
La Leche League International was founded 50 years ago by a group of Chicago area mothers seeking information and support for breastfeeding their babies. Breastfeeding was not the norm in the 1950s, and the small group of nursing mothers shared information and mother to mother support through their breastfeeding experiences. La Leche League International now operates in over 75 countries and is currently based in Schaumburg.
The founders of La Leche League are Marian Tompson, Mary White, Viola Lennon, Edwina Froehlich, Mary Ann Cahill, Mary Ann Kerwin and Betty Wagner Spandikow. One of the original La Leche League babies, Paul Froehlich, son of Edwina Froehlich, now serves as Illinois Representative of the 56th District.
La Leche League International will celebrate its 50th anniversary this year holding a conference in Chicago July 20-23. On July 16th , local nonprofit Chicago Community Midwives and La Leche League International will hold a Gala Dinner benefit and awards banquet to honor the Founders of La Leche League and to announce the Governor’s Proclamation. Several of the Founders of La Leche League, now in their 80s, will attend the event to personally receive their awards. The event will be held at Wishbone restaurant in Chicago, Monday July 16th from 5-8pm . Proceeds will benefit Chicago Community Midwives’ nonprofit programs educating about healthy birth and breastfeeding.
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Background Information:
Press Passes for Gala Honoring the Founders of La Leche League
Contact Jacque Shannon-McNulty
Jacque(at)chicagocommunitymidwives(dot)org
La Leche League
Organizational information and breastfeeding information and resources
www.lalecheleague.org
Chicago Community Midwives
Organizational information and La Leche League Founders Gala information and tickets
www.chicagocommunitymidwives.org
Background on the Founders of La Leche League
http://www.waba.org.my/wabalink/LLLI.pdf
Text of Governor’s Proclamation:
WHEREAS, La Leche League International, a nonprofit
organization dedicated to the promotion and support of breastfeeding
and recognized as a world authority on breastfeeding, is celebrating its 50th Anniversary;
WHEREAS, La Leche League International, founded and
incorporated in the state of Illinois, has spread to all 50 states and has a presence in over 75 other countries worldwide;
WHEREAS, The health and well being of mothers and babies in
Illinois have been greatly improved because of the efforts of La Leche League International for the past 50 years;
WHEREAS, Six of the organization’s seven Founders are
life long residents of Illinois: Marian Tompson, Mary White, Viola
Lennon, Edwina Froehlich, Mary Ann Cahill, and Betty Wagner Spandikow;
WHEREAS, Breastfeeding has been endorsed worldwide by health
professional organizations, governmental health ministries and departments and international agencies as the optimal infant feeding method;
WHEREAS, The LLLI Founders and La Leche League International are deserving of recognition for their dedication and achievements in educating and supporting parents and professionals in every aspect of breastfeeding;
WHEREAS, The La Leche League International 50th Anniversary will be celebrated at a number of events in Chicago during the month of July, 2007;
THEREFORE, I, Rod R. Blagojevich, Governor of the State of Illinois, do hereby proclaim
July 16 to 23 as La Leche League International Week in Illinois in recognition of the seven LLLI Founders -Mary White, Marian Tompson, Edwina Froehlich, Viola Lennon, Betty Wagner Spandikow, Mary Ann Cahill, and Mary Ann Kerwin, for 50 years of dedicated service to mothers and babies.
Entry Filed under: Press Releases