Virginia, United States—The Virginia Chapter of UPF-USA and Pure Style, Inc, commemorated the 29th National Parents’ Day for Virginia on Saturday, July 29, at the Manassas Park Community Center in Manassas Park, Virginia. About 20 people gathered with the awardees and families and friends. It was an uplifting and pleasant gathering to recognize the importance of parents and family and to enjoy the deliciously prepared dinner.
The program began with an invocation by Pastor George Williams of the Edgewood Brookland Family Support Collaborative, a neighborhood-based network which provides classes in parenting and mental health counseling in Washington, D.C.
An inspiring violin performance by Mrs. Makiko Taguchi set the tone for the rest of the program.
Dr. William Selig, communications director of UPF International, was the emcee for the event. Dr. Selig welcomed the participants and guests on behalf of the sponsoring organizations. He gave a brief history of Parents’ Day and quoted Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon, Co-Founder of UPF, who in her address at the U.S. Congress on July 28, 1993 emphasized the value of the family in building the ideal world. She declared: “The family is society’s eternally unchanging origin, foundation, and building block. Neither your nation nor the world is the base for your happiness. Your family is. Therefore, the ideals we first seek should not be in the world. They must be in our family.”
Parents’ Day is a national holiday celebrated on the 4th Sunday of July. The bill was passed unanimously and signed into law by President Clinton in 1994. Though Capitol Hill is known for its deep political divides, the legislators crossed the aisle to honor our parents who play an important role in teaching love to young people and shaping their lives so they may make a positive contribution to the betterment of our community, society, nation and world.
Mrs. Barbara Moseley-Marks, executive director of UPF-Virginia and founder/president of Pure Style, Inc., expressed her appreciation to be part of organizing the annual event and to be in the presence of such an illustrious group of people. “We live in confusing times. It is imperative that we find ways to instill the importance of marriage and family into the hearts of our young men and women,” she said.
Hon. Jeanette Rishell, the mayor of Manassas Park, expressed her appreciation for Parents’ Day. She said the values embodied in Parents’ Day resonate with Manassas Park, which she described as a family-oriented community. “When you’re in Manassas Park, you’re home,” she said.
The mayor presented a Proclamation proclaiming July 30, 2023 as “Parents’ Day.” It reads in part: “Parents are the foundation of our lives and we thank parents for all the sacrifices they have made and support they have given us throughout our lives. Therefore, I, Jeanette Rishell, Mayor of the City of Manassas Park, Virginia, and on behalf of the Manassas Park Governing Body, do hereby proclaim July 30, 2023, as ‘Parents’ Day’ in the City of Manassas Park and urge all residents of this Community to treat all parents with the respect and honor they so richly deserve.”
Rev. Daniel Owusu and Mrs. Esther Owusu were honored as the Parents of the Year 2023 for the State of Virginia, “for their outstanding example of parental love and commitment to their family, and for the contribution they make to their community. Good parenting plays not only a crucial role in the happiness of families but also in the health of society as a whole,” reads the presented plaque.
Rev. Owusu is the founding pastor of the Throne Room of Grace in Manassas, a non-denominational church dedicated to spreading the teachings of Jesus Christ. Born in Ghana, Rev. Owusu said it is easier to raise children in Africa than in America. “The family there includes not only the nuclear family but also members of their extended family with grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.” Rev. Owusu recognizes there are more opportunities for education in America, but that “we should learn from each other.”
The program closed with another performance by Mrs. Taguchi.
Special thanks to Richard Roseen and Stanley Marks for taking care of the set-up and media, and to Mrs. Angel Nkwe and Mrs. Lericia Green for providing a delicious buffet.