Seeking a theme to promote their community, the Anthony, Texas/New Mexico
Chamber of
Commerce voted in 1988 to sponsor a "Worldwide Leap Year
Festival" and "Worldwide Leap Year
Birthday Club." Based on this celebration
and because no other place in the world regularly sponsors such an event, the
Chamber claimed title and the then governors of New Mexico and Texas issued
proclamations naming Anthony, New
Mexico/Texas
Leap
Year Capital of the World
Senator Pete Domenici of New
Mexico entered into the Congressional Record
of the United States a
request that Congress and the President join in the
proclamation.
In 1988, with only one month to plan
following the proposal of the project, the
celebration was limited to a
small birthday party. Even with such short notice
nine people celebrated their
Leap Year birthdays together and guests came from
Deming, New Mexico and Amarillo, Texas, as well as Anthony, El
Paso and
Las Cruces.
In 1992, a few thousand people enjoyed a
two-day festival with events including
a parade, hot air balloons, a carnival, golf tournament, arts and crafts fair, "42"
tournament
(played with dominoes), hayrides and more. There were twenty three
Leap Year celebrants sharing a huge birthday cake.
"Twenty niners" came from
California, Wisconsin, Arizona, Texas and New Mexico, and one lady came from
Munich,
Germany.
In January 1996 the Anthony, New Mexico
Post Office was designated
"Leap Year Station" and granted a commemorative postal cancellation.
Membership in the Worldwide Leap Year
Birthday Club has grown from zero
in 1988 to over 400 in 2003, including members born on every Leap Year Day
in the 1900s (there have
been 23.) The members hail from almost every state
in the Union, also from Germany, England, Norway,
Mexico and Canada. |
