Wish Me A Merry Christmas - Press Releases

12/11/2007 – For Immediate Release

Beckley, WV Church Partners with Wish Me A Merry Christmas Campaign to Change Retail Culture (PHOTOS AVAILABLE)

Contact: Ashley Tarter, Media Relations at (800) 487-7137 ext. 709 or [email protected]

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

WILLIAMSBURG, Va./Dec. 11, 2007 --- Oak Grove Christian Church of Beckley is 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 300 buttons in circulation around Beckley, 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).

Pastor Rick Absher is excited about the message the buttons share, “We realize there would be no 'Happy Holidays' without Christmas. Christmas truly is the reason for the season. Here at the Oak Grove Christian Church, we hope the ‘Wish Me a Merry Christmas’ campaign and buttons will encourage people to share their faith and joy this Christmas.”

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.

>From Florida to Alaska and everywhere in between, individuals and churches have purchased tens of thousands of the red and green, "It's OK, Wish Me A Merry Christmas," ornament-like buttons to wear and share.

Said Campaign organizer, Ashley Tarter, “National retailers will hearken the public's message that it is okay to wish, 'Merry Christmas,' once again.”

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: [email protected]

Pastor Rick Absher
Oak Grove Christian Church
304-252-7565

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

SOURCE: Campaign for Christmas