For Immediate Release	For more information, contact:
July 22, 2016	Jamee Thumm, Education Coordinator, 941-373-7070 ext. 307

City of Sarasota to Proclaim Sarasota Breastfeeding Awareness Month

Healthy Start Coalition, Breastfeeding Advocates of Sarasota County, and other Local Organizations

Celebrate with “Latch On Sarasota” Events, Door Decorating Contest and Blog Hop

 

(August 2016) – The City of Sarasota is once again proclaiming August as Sarasota Breastfeeding Awareness Month. Vice Mayor Suzanne Atwell will present the Proclamation at the Healthy Start Coalition of Sarasota County’s   “Latch On Sarasota” Event at the Downtown Sarasota Farmer’s Market on Saturday, August 6^th at 10am.

“Latch On Sarasota” is a public awareness event in which breastfeeding women gather together to break the local record for “Most Simultaneous Breastfeeding Moms.” At precisely 10:30 am on Saturday August 6th, all breastfeeding moms (including pumpers and supplementers) are invited to join in on this fun and exciting event.  Participants are asked to arrive by 9:30 to pre-register.  The event will be located on the South end of the Market, in front of the State Street Parking Garage on State Street.

In addition to the Farmer’s Market event, a second event, “Latch-On Sarasota, South” will be held at the same time at Hold Me Closer, 218 Harbor Dr S, Island of Venice for residents of South Sarasota County and surrounding areas.  Both events will feature refreshments and activities for children.

The Healthy Start Coalition of Sarasota County, Inc. is also celebrating with its Annual World Breastfeeding Week Door Decorating Contest. Local businesses, organizations and healthcare facilities are invited to decorate an office door, window, or public space that is visible to the public with a message that promotes or supports breastfeeding. This year’s theme is “Breastfeeding Support: Close to Mothers” highlighting Breastfeeding Peer Counseling.  Judging takes place the week of August 1st and winners will be announced the week of August 8^th.  Winners receive the coveted “Golden Nipple Award”.

Finally, the Coalition and its community taskforce, the Breastfeeding Advocates of Sarasota County, are hosting their third annual “Breastfeeding Blog Hop” to spread positive messages and education about breastfeeding utilizing the World Wide Web. A blog hop is a way to connect blogs writing about a similar topic – in this case supporting breastfeeding. This allows multiple blogs to share and promote the topic as well as each other, increasing traffic and the reach of the message.

 

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that at infants are breastfed, with no supplements given, for at least the first 6 months of life, with continuation of breastfeeding for 1 year or longer as mutually desired by mother and infant. Breastfeeding is proven to give babies the best start in life, providing optimal nutrition while also strengthening the immune system and nurturing maternal-child bonding. Babies who are breastfed are less likely to have: ear infections, diarrhea, pneumonia, bronchitis, asthma, and bacterial infections.  Breastfeeding is also beneficial for the mother, as it helps return the uterus to a normal size after pregnancy, prevents anemia, and reduces the risk of ovarian cancer, breast cancer, and osteoporosis.

For more information, please call (941) 373-7070 or visit www.healthystartsarasota.org.