Before people start donning Halloween costumes or planning their Thanksgiving meal, there is another holiday to be celebrated — Tuacahn Day! — and this year there are several ways to get involved.
Thanks to a gubernatorial distinction bestowed on Tuacahn back in 2019, Sept. 27 has been decreed as Tuacahn Day in the state of Utah; a day Tuacahn can’t wait to use as an opportunity to give back to the community.
“This distinction honors Hyrum and Gail Smith for their contributions throughout the state, but particularly their generosity to Tuacahn Center for the Arts,” said Kevin Smith, Tuacahn CEO. “Hyrum said many times that he believed in the abundance mentality, meaning when you have sufficient for your needs, the rest you give back and he absolutely did that.”
Now everyone in the community is invited to give of whatever abundance they might have, be it in the form of time, talents or finances, to assist several non-profit organizations on Sept. 25-28.
“We really want this to be a time for the community to pull together and serve each other,” said Eliza Jorgensen, Tuacahn Development Specialist. “We are so appreciative of our Tuacahn Day sponsor, Utah Family Pharmacy, for supporting all of the events we have planned, including providing special T-shirts for the first 50 service participants to wear and keep as a memento.”
This year’s events begin with the Tuacahn canned food drive to benefit the Utah Food Bank, which will take place Sept. 25-28. To kick it off, anyone donating non-perishable food items on Wednesday, Sept. 25, can purchase up to four tickets to see Jersey Boys that evening for just $20 each!
On Friday, Sept. 27, Tuacahn has arranged for a host of service opportunities to benefit local non-profits. Members of the community will be able to sign up to participate in as many as they are able.
- Habitat for Humanity ReStore Fall Festival, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, Sept. 27, at 39 S. Main in Hurricane. Proceeds from the event, including food trucks, items for sale and other activities, will go toward helping people in need of affordable housing through Habitat for Humanity.
- Youth Futures Shelter is looking for people to assist them in organizing the shelter’s storage in their garage from 2 to 5 p.m. Friday, Sept. 27.
- Switchpoint Community Resource Center is asking people to work in the greenhouse and help with landscaping throughout the day on Friday, Sept. 27. Switchpoint is located at 948 N. 1300 West, St. George.
- Boys and Girls Club is hosting a pants drive, gathering pants for boys and girls, grades kindergarten to 6th grade. Donations will be accepted all day Friday, Sept. 27, at 136 N. 100 East, St. George.
Also on Friday, Sept. 27, there will be a pre-show service activity beginning at 6:30 p.m. at Tuacahn. Participants will have the chance to tie fleece blankets, make cards, and assemble school supply kits for Lifting Hands International, a non-profit organization serving refugees in Utah and worldwide.
To wrap up the Tuacahn Day celebrations, Tuacahn invites the community to come to a special Gratitude Event at their Saturday Market on Sept. 28 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Along with the local artisan shopping, live music, and food vendors, attendees can expect lots of special giveaways as part of Tuacahn’s expression of gratitude to the community.
“We’re encouraging people to go and serve, then come and play at the Tuacahn Saturday Market,” Jorgensen said. “This is such a great opportunity to give back to the community. We want as many people as we can to get out and lend a hand to their neighbors for Tuacahn Day.”
