OAK HILL, WV (LOOTPRESS) – A special Grandparents Day celebration will take place at Oak Hill Baptist Church on Saturday, September 6, honoring Marian McQuade, the Oak Hill native who founded the national holiday.
McQuade, a community activist and former member of Oak Hill Baptist Church, began advocating in the 1970s for a day to recognize grandparents and their role in families and communities.
Her efforts led West Virginia Governor Arch Moore to proclaim the first state-level Grandparents Day in 1973.
Five years later, in 1978, President Jimmy Carter signed a federal proclamation establishing National Grandparents Day as the first Sunday after Labor Day each year.
This year’s event in Oak Hill will begin at 6 p.m. at the church, located at 613 Lundale Drive.
Entertainment will be provided by Coda and Associate Executive Director Matt Evans.
A love gift will be accepted to support the Coda Mountain Academy, and refreshments will be served following the performance.
Organizers said the celebration serves both as a memorial to McQuade, who passed away in 2008, and as a recognition of the ongoing importance of grandparents in the community.
