Toad Hollow Day of Thank You

Toad Hollow Day of Thank You began in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Ralph C. Morrison, who taught at a local community college, had an elderly student named Eunice in his class. One day he was reading a story in a local paper which had profiled her. It mentioned the school she had attended while growing up: Toad Hollow Country School. The name of the 1834 schoolhouse, which once stood at the end of Knox Street in Kalamazoo, resonated with Morrison. Being that he was a storyteller, he began incorporating Toad Hollow into his fictional stories. He turned it into a town, and when people would ask him where it was, and he would tell them, "In your heart."

Eventually, Kalamazoo County said he could use a local park to tell his stories. In 1992, he formed a non-profit society to operate the park; it was made up of volunteers called "voluntoads." They built a nineteenth-century homestead and town, and refurbished the already-existing grist mill. They called their creation Toad Hollow. Classes in blacksmithing, quilting, and candle and soap making were held, as were events such as Renaissance Fairs and Civil War reenactments. This lasted just three years, until when the county apparently took back the land.

The voluntoads went on to teach in nearby schools until 2003, where they shared the arts, knowledge of trades, storytelling, writing, and even did some barbecuing. At some point, the voluntoads also came up with Toad Hollow Day of Thank You, when thanks is shown to others. The voluntoads also created the Toad Hollow Day of Encouragement, which appears to be the more celebrated of the two holidays. They also created the Toad Hollow Week of Encouragement.

How to Observe Toad Hollow Day of Thank You

Celebrate the day by thanking others! Thank those who do something for you today, and thank those who have done things for you in the past. You could also travel to Kalamazoo, Michigan, and stop at Scotts Mill Park, where it all started.

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