All In the Planning (NAPSA)—Families comein all shapes and sizes. So do family reunions. And the numberof these celebrations taking place in the United States is on the rise. In fact, the Travel Industry Association of America said an estimated 200,000 family reunions were celebrated in 2002—anincrease of 25 percent over the pre- vious year. Thinking about holding a family reunion? Here are five golden rules to help you get started from www.hebrewnational.com: 1. Know your numbers: Send out a survey to potential invitees so you can estimate the size of your party space and food needs. 2. Be considerate: Think about everyone’s needs based on age, mobility, financial resources, and geography. 3. Timing is everything: Try to give everyone at least eight months notice and choose a date that is convenient for your attendees. 4. Build a team: Delegate projects such as locating family members, coordinating travel, collecting family histories and photographs, and keeping the budgetin line. 5. To cook or not to cook: Food plays a very important role at any reunion. But feeding a large group on your own can be daunting. Potluck is a very popular and easy option. “Whetherit’s family in the traditional sense, school or military buddies, or other long-lost friends, there’s never been a more important time for people everywhere to spend time with those most meaningful to them,” says Mark Kleinman of ConAgra Foods’ Hebrew National brand, whose hot dogs and other premium products have been a mainstay at family reunionsfor almost 100 years. Hebrew National offers valuable tools and tips for making any family reunion a happy and memorable experience at its Web site www.hebrewnational.com. You'll find ten golden rules for family reunions, a downloadable planning calendar and budget tracker, plus other great resources.
