For the first time in 24 years, the chamber and the towns of Anthony
may not host a Leap Year
Festival -- even though the two
towns spent years promoting the
event, which is held every four
years on leap day.
Anthony, Texas, Mayor Art
Franco said the Chamber of
Commerce has decided against
sponsoring the festival again
and has asked the town of
Anthony, N.M., to take over the
event.
"But the town of Anthony
can't do it itself," he said.
Anthony, Texas, and Anthony, N.M., were proclaimed the Leap Year Capital of the World in 1988 and ever since have hosted a four-day festival including Feb. 29.
The Anthony Chamber of Commerce
did not return calls Tuesday
seeking comment.
Raenell Dawn, co-founder of
the Honor Society of Leap Year
Day Babies, said the Anthony
Chamber of Commerce has not come
up with an explanation for why
the event was canceled.
The idea of the Anthony
Chamber of Commerce using the
extra day, or Feb. 29, for a
festival was "awesome" because
it helped promote the town, Dawn
said.
"The fact that they are
canceling it is causing quite
the uproar in all the leapers,"
she said. "It's not just our
birthday, it's everyone's extra
day." Dawn said people contact
the honor society every four
years to inquire about the
festival.
She is also a member of the
World Wide Leaper Birthday Club
that Mary Ann Brown, from
Anthony, N.M., started in the
late 1980s.
Brown founded the Worldwide
Leap Year Birthday Club at the
same time the Anthony chamber
voted to proclaim Anthony as the
Leap Year Capital of the World.
Dawn said she is trying to
contact the Texas and New Mexico
governors' offices to try to
preserve the event.
Then-Texas Gov. William P.
Clements and then-New Mexico
Gov. Garrey Carruthers joined
the special proclamation in
1988.
"Somebody needs to step up
and take over the festival,"
Dawn said.
Aileen B. Flores may be reached at aflores@elpasotimes.com; 546-6362.