PRESS RELEASE: Local church will use “It’s OK, Wish Me A Merry Christmas™” buttons and car magnets to raise money. (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)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WILLIAMSBURG, Va./October 29, 2009
The Redeemer Lutheran Church in Glendale, NY is partnering with the Wish Me A Merry Christmas Campaign to mobilize 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)”. Over 200,000 of these buttons have been distributed nationally.
The church plans to sell the buttons to congregation members as well and the public and those who wish to use the buttons to spread the message of the true meaning of Christmas.
Pastor William Wrede of the Redeemer Lutheran Church says, “Jesus is the reason for the season. We are excited to celebrate the birth of Christ our Savoir.”
With over 500 buttons already distributed in New York in 2008, 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).
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.
From Florida to Alaska and into Canada 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
Pastor William Wrede
Redeemer Lutheran Church
(718) 902-8114
KEYWORDS: Christmas, Merry Christmas, Christmas Campaign, religion, social issues, Christmas button campaign, clergy, churches, Christmas, Holidays
SOURCE: Campaign for Christmas
