All - Leep Calendar

The global captive dolphin trade is responsible for Taiji's brutal dolphin hunts to take place worldwide. Every year Sea Shepherd's Cove Guardians have patrolled the Taiji cove, where entire families of cetaceans are driven into the cove and either kidnapped and sold into captivity or ruthlessly killed at a tremendous profit. "Our utmost desire is to see a day when captivity is completely abolished, and these beautiful, intelligent beings are allowed to roam free throughout the world's oceans instead of being put into tiny tanks and forced to perform tricks just to get their next meal," said David Hance, Chief Operating Officer for Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. "Please join Sea Shepherd on February 14th as we stand up against captivity and against those companies that help perpetuate this horrific industry," added Hance.

Africa

Feb

Donor Day, Ntl.: February 14

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National Donor Day focuses on five points of life: 1) Organs 2) Tissues 3) Marrow 4) Platelets 5) Blood Many nonprofit health organizations sponsor blood, marrow drives, and organ/tissue sign-ups nationwide. National Donor Day was started in 1998 by the Saturn Corporation and its United Auto Workers partners with the support of the US Department of Health and Human Services and many nonprofit health organizations.

Africa

Feb

Exploding Hammer Festival (MX-GT): February 14

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The Exploding Hammer Festival, also known as the Festival of San Juan de la Vega, is a tradition in San Juan de la Vega, Guanajuato, Mexico. It is part of the carnival season leading up to the 40-day fast of Lent, two days before Ash Wednesday. Saint John, was a Mexican version of Robinhood in the 17th century and was "sainted" by the townspeople. He is the town's patron and the event's marquee, but Judas, the betrayer of Jesus, gets the attention. For the primary exhibition, participants dressed in brightly colored costumes and masks represent Judas and carry sledgehammers into the village square. In teams, each strikes a greased pole, [el palo encebado], to create the spark that ignites the oil leading to the top where fireworks are attached. The team that manages to ignite the fireworks is declared the festival winner. On a smaller scale, men and boys attach fireworks and small explosives to the face of sledgehammers and smash them throughout the streets. The festival is believed to have originated during the pre-Hispanic as a spring equinox celebration. Like many local customs, it was incorporated into the Catholic calendar as a festival to celebrate a saint.

Africa

Feb

Ferris Wheel Day (1859): February 14

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Ferris Wheel Day honors George Washington Gale Ferris, Jr., the inventor of the Ferris Wheel. Ferris was born on February 14, 1859, graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute School of Engineering and died at age 37 in 1896. The first Ferris Wheel, built at the cost of $400,000, premiered at the Chicago Columbian Exhibition in 1893, just three years before his death. It had 36 cars, each fitted with 40 revolving chairs, and could carry up to 60 people. Upon the fair’s opening, the Ferris wheel carried 38,000 passengers daily, with each trip requiring 10 minutes to complete one full revolution. Each rider enjoyed two turns. The first Ferris wheel carried over 2.5 million people during its lifetime, grossing 1.25 million in sales throughout its 13-year history. It was demolished in 1906.

Africa

Feb

Frederick Douglass Day (1818): February 14

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Today marks the birthdate of one of America's first black leaders. Frederick Douglass was born on February 14, 1818, as a slave in Tuckahoe, Maryland. He rose to greatness in his life as an advocate for the abolitionist movement. Douglass later became the first African American to hold a high office in the US Government. He died on February 20, 1895. "If there is no struggle, there is no progress...Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did, and it never will." – Frederick Douglass

Africa

Feb

Have a Heart Day, (CA): February 14

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Have a Heart Day is a child and youth-led reconciliation event that brings together caring Canadians to help ensure First Nations children have the services they need to grow up safely at home, get a good education, be healthy, and be proud of who they are.

Africa

Feb

Heart Research Day (AU): February 14

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Heart Research Day and Heart Research Month in Australia seek to raise awareness of the devastating impact of heart disease on families and individuals and the need for ongoing research. Heart Research Australia's focus this month is to obtain funding for pioneering, first-stage research that leads to breakthroughs in treating heart disease. Heart disease is the primary killer of Australians, affecting 66% of families.

Africa

Feb

I Love My GSA Day: February 14 (est)

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Created in 2023, I Love My GSA Day is an initiative by GLSEN. GSA stands for Gender and Sexuality Alliance, a student-led organization supporting LGBTQ+ students and promoting what has become known as inclusivity and acceptance.

Africa

Feb

Impotence Day, Ntl. (UK): February 14

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Sixty-four percent of men who have had a heart attack experienced a warning sign up to three years earlier: Erectile dysfunction Erectile dysfunction can be a forewarning of serious health problems or a temporary situation due to increased stress. Whatever the cause, it can be unbearable for men and their partners. National Impotence Day in the United Kingdom seeks to provide men and their partners with the information necessary to treat or overcome impotence. Dozens of resources are available on the charity's website. National Impotency Day (also called Think About Sex Day) is sponsored by the Sexual Advice Association, a non-profit devoted to all aspects of human sexuality.

Africa

Feb

League of Women Voters Day (1920): February 14

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The League of Women Voters was founded by Carrie Chapman Catt on February 14, 1920, at the National American Woman Suffrage Association convention. The struggle to obtain the right to vote for women lasted 72 years. The League began as a "mighty political experiment" designed to help 20 million women fulfill their new voting responsibilities. It encouraged them to use their new power to participate in shaping public policy. Today the League of Women Voters is a powerful advocate for various women's rights issues and has upwards of 150,000 members.

Africa

Feb

Lent (C): February 14 - March 28

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The Christian season of Lent is a religious observance that begins 40 days (the days Jesus fasted in the desert and resisted temptation by the devil) on Ash Wednesday and concludes on Maundy Thursday. The purpose of Lent is to prepare for the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abram and the new covenant created with mankind through Jesus Christ. It is a season observed by all Christians, though more stringently in the Catholic and Orthodox faiths. Traditionally there is prayer, penance, and atonement leading up to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is customary to fast during Lent. Fasting can be food or giving up something else of pleasure, such as drinking or smoking, and other temptations like sweets or meat.

Africa

Feb

One Billion Rising, Global Dance: February 14

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The One Billion Rising for Justice campaign is rapidly building upon the energy and momentum created in early 2013 when one billion activists in 207 countries came together to strike, dance, and rise to end violence against women and girls. More than 100 countries are already signed on to Rise outside courthouses, police stations, government offices, school administration buildings, workplaces, sites of environmental injustice, military courts, embassies, places of worship, or other public spaces for justice, marking the call to end the rampant impunity that prevails globally. The expanded One Billion Rising website features activist videos, daily news updates and photos, information on joining the campaign, and much more. Individuals and organizations can get involved with One Billion Rising online by adding to the thousands already signed up. The “This is What Justice Looks Like” project launches today as a forum where activists can share their definitions of justice in the form of text, images, and video in an online collage on the campaign website. The series debuts with videos from activists in Syria, Haiti, the Philippines, and South Africa and a new monologue by Eve Ensler. Contributors are encouraged to visualize justice, harnessing their power and imagination.

Africa

Feb

Pet Theft Awareness Day, Ntl.: February 14

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Pets get stolen and sometimes "sold" back to their owners for a reward. The National Humane Education Society encourages pet owners to take precautions each Valentine's Day to ensure they have current information on each pet in the event it is stolen or lost. Precautions include: ID tags and microchips A recent clear photo of face and body markings Supervise pets when outdoors Never let them run at large Register your pet with Social Media such as Nextdoor And if your pet goes missing, immediately canvas the neighborhood, put up posters, notify services like PawBoost and contact your local shelter.

Africa

Feb

Race Relations Day: February 14

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Race Relations Day is supported by multiple religious organizations but does not have a specific sponsor. Coinciding with Valentine's Day, it is a day to promote interracial and interfaith appreciation in love and life.

Africa

Feb

Sex, National Thinking About Sex Day (UK): February 14

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Think About Sex Day in the United Kingdom always falls on Valentine's Day. It is about looking at sexuality, how we relate to each other, and what to do when problems arise. The Sexual Advice Association takes a traditional, satirical look at the issue of one partner wanting and another not in the first video presented. The purpose of Think About Sex Day is to improve the sexual health and well-being of men and women and to raise awareness of the extent to which sexual conditions affect the general population.

Africa