Wish Me A Merry Christmas - Press Releases

11/24/2008 – For Immediate Release

PRESS RELEASE: Ontario Knights of Columbus Partner with the Wish Me A Merry Christmas Campaign to Change Retail Culture (PHOTO AVAILABLE)

Media covering this story range from Focus on the Family with Dr. James Dobson, the Christian Broadcasting Network 700 Club and KLOVE - the National Christian Radio Network to the Daily Press (Newport News, Va.), WAVY TV-10 (Norfolk, VA), WRVA AM 1140 (Clear Channel, Richmond, VA), WTRM (Winchester, VA) and WVEC Channel 13 (Virginia Beach, VA)

Williamsburg, VA/ November 24, 2008

The Ontario Knights of Columbus are partnering with the Wish Me A Merry Christmas Campaign mobilizing advocates energized for a return to the traditional, convivial greeting, bearing buttons that make a clear statement - "It's OK, Wish Me A Merry Christmas(TM) (http://www.wmamc.com)".

With over 3000 buttons in circulation in cities all around Ontario, local store associates are likely to be presented with the opportunity to deviate from the corporate holiday wishing policy of top retailers like the Gap and Best Buy, and stealthily wish their customer "Merry Christmas" instead of the generic "Happy Holidays". But since 96% of Americans celebrate Christmas (Gallup Poll, 2004), it's likely that the store cashiers would prefer to wish their customers "Merry Christmas" as well. In fact 88% of Americans state that "It's okay to wish 'Merry Christmas'." (Gallup Poll).

Grand Knight, Rick Stankiewicz of Peterborough said, "It is about time we did something that puts Christ back into Christmas. I am getting a lot of great feedback from my other Christian friends too. Everyone thinks this is a great way to celebrate the Christmas season and to get people thinking about what we are really celebrating."

John Sagan of Cobourg, also a Grand Knight agreed saying, "We are combining this with the sale of crèches and Keep Christ In Christmas Signs. We also brought on board other denominations in Cobourg."

Said Campaign Manager, Ashley Tarter, "National retailers will hearken the public's message that it is okay to wish, 'Merry Christmas,' once again. In the meanwhile local communities are being impacted by the message of the Campaign."

The national Wish Me A Merry Christmas Campaign is appealing to retailers to "put Christmas back in the holidays" with two straightforward petitions:

• To actively retract adverse corporate holiday wishing policies, by returning to the traditional and explicit "Merry Christmas" phrase; and
• To restore use of the symbols, language and sounds of Christmas in in-store displays, signage and music, as well as in November and December advertising.

Across Canada and the United States individuals and churches have purchased hundreds of thousands of the red and green, "It's OK, Wish Me A Merry Christmas," ornament-like buttons to wear and share.

For more information, visit http://www.wmamc.com - the first letters in Wish Me A Merry Christmas, or contact Media Relations at 800-487-7137, option 4. Merry Christmas!

* Gallup Poll 2004, PDFs available at http://wmamc.com/millionbuttongoal/media.html

MEDIA: For further information, contact Ashley Tarter at 800-487-7137 ext. 709. Additional research content available via the MEDIA link at the Wish Me a Merry Christmas Campaign site, http://www.wmamc.com).

PHOTOS: http://wmamc.com/millionbuttongoal/media.html#images

CONTACTS:
Ashley Tarter
Wish Me A Merry Christmas Campaign
PO Box 5398
Williamsburg, VA 23188
PHONE. 800-487-7137 ext. 709
E-mail: atarter@wmamc.com

Joe Jeronimo, Director
Knights of Columbus Diocesan Association
Phone: 905-623-3393
Fax: 905-623-9574
Toll Free: 1-888-574-2147
e-mail: jjeronimo@royallepage.ca

KEYWORDS: Christmas, Merry Christmas, Christmas Campaign, religion, social issues, Christmas button campaign, clergy, churches, Christmas, Holidays

SOURCE: Campaign for Christmas