Weekend Ceremony Will Honor ‘Parents of the Year’ at City Hall Rotunda in Celebration of National Parent’s Day

It may not be as popular as Mother’s Day or Father’s Day – maybe because the celebration wasn’t made formal until the mid-1990s – but National Parents’ Day bears an important place in the nation’s culture. It celebrates a job shared by about 150 million Americans: being a parent, raising kids and making sure they grow up to become responsible citizens.

On Saturday, July 23, the day before the National Parents Day, which comes on the fourth Sunday of July each year, Pasadena will honor outstanding parents in the city with an event at the City Hall Rotunda at 9:30 a.m. The ceremony is spearheaded by the Universal Peace Federation (UPF), an international and interreligious network of individuals and organizations dedicated to achieving world peace.

The UPF has a Peace Center in Pasadena, which over the past several years has been organizing a local Parents’ Day committee – made up of volunteers, public officials, community leaders, ministers, teachers, students, and parents – to sponsor the annual Parents’ Day program.

Nasser Zomorod, Executive Director of the UPF in Southern California, said the organization focuses on family values as part of their mission for promoting world peace.

“We want to celebrate National Parents’ Day because it’s related directly to family,” Zomorod said. “We’re looking for outstanding parents that educate their children and do the best they can to make them more moral.”

Zomorod said that the parents who are to be honored on Saturday were nominated by their friends and loved ones.

“Parents day is more powerful than just mother’s day or father’s day because it includes the whole family,” Zomorod added.

Senator Antonio Portantino and Dr. Michael Jenkins, president of the UPF – North America are scheduled to speak during the ceremony, according to Zomorod.

U.S. Congresswoman Judy Chu, who represents Pasadena and the 27th California district, sent a message extending her congratulations to the UPF and to Pasadena’s outstanding parents who will be honored on Saturday.

“Congratulations to all the parents who are being honored for their  incredible work,” Chu wrote. “You have given unconditional love to your children, overcome obstacles to provide for their development and happiness, exhibited strong moral fortitude, shared your time  and talents with children, and made noteworthy contributions to the family and the community.”

National Parents’ Day came to be after President Clinton signed a joint resolution by the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate and made it law on Oct. 14, 1994.

According to the National Archives, the resolution was enacted to support those who take on “the important role… of raising a child.” It also states that National Parents’ Day “is a chance to create a positive tradition based on a core axiom – that the role of parents is crucial in the nurturing and development of children, and thus requires investment, focus, and commitment.”

Zomorod said the event on Saturday will culminate in a complimentary lunch at the UPF Peace Center at 950 Holly Vista Drive.

For more information, call (626) 622-2584 or email upfla1@gmail.com.