What better way to wish Arizona a happy 105th birthday than to spread some love and sip some coffee?
Why I Love Where I Live has organized two events for Valentine's Day (which also happens to be Arizona's birthday.)
February 14 is the perfect match for Why I Love Where I Live, a community and movement that celebrates all things Tucson.
Alex and Kristin Tovar, the couple behind it all, considered skipping the celebration this year (their third year organizing) as baby-induced sleep deprivation had them procrastinating the planning.
Even with a 3-year-old and a newborn, this was too important. Celebrating Arizona was too important.
"Our hope is that the more people love where they live, the more they will feel a sense of ownership and want to see it flourish," Kristin, 31, says.
One of the ways they are doing that on Tuesday morning is by setting up shop at Exo Roast Co., 403 N. Sixth Ave., so visitors can make Valentines for the refugee and Muslim communities.
"I just want people in our community, or whoever gets the cards, to know there are a lot of people who care about them..." says Danielle Enriquez, the 21-year-old behind the Valentine's cards. The idea arose out of her frustration with recent attitudes toward Muslim and refugee communities.
The Valentines will go to the Islamic Center of Tucson, 901 E. First St., and Iskashitaa Refugee Network, 1406 E. Grant Road, Building 2. If you can't make it to Exo, but still want to send some love, go ahead and mail your card to either location.
The Tovars connected with Enriquez when they learned about her Valentine creation plan.
"We have fallen in love with Tucson and care about the people here, which includes people who moved here, and we don't want to ignore the hard things about where we live," Kristin says. "We want to fully invest in the good and bad and part of that is coming up with solutions, and we want to welcome our neighbors and give refugees that just moved here a reason to love our community, too."
Also, if you plan to visit, be thinking about why you love where you live. You can pen your reason on a Post-it note to be arranged in the image of the Arizona state flag.
The event at Exo also includes sales of Why I Love Where I Live merchandise, 10 percent of which will go toward Living Streets Alliance Mobile Bike Repair service and the group's next trip to an apartment complex with a significant refugee population.
The birthday celebration will continue into the evening at Creative Tribe Workshop's new studio, 236 S. Scott Ave., with cake, a photo booth, Arizona-themed merchandise for sale and activities for kids. Creative Tribe is providing the supplies for mini community-themed vision boards, and Syrian sweets will be for sale.
"If you're experiencing something cool that Tucson has to offer, it might inspire you to fall more in love with it and move toward finding your place in the community and figure out what you have to offer to make it a better place," Alex, 30, says.
You can start with a Valentine, a sticky note and maybe a bite of cake.
Get involved
Why I Love Where I Live's Valentine's Day celebration will be at Exo Roast Co., 403 N. Sixth Ave., 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 14. Get a cup of coffee, make a Valentine for a refugee, add your two-sense to the Post-it note mural and shop T-shirt designs. More information here.
The celebration continues at Creative Tribe Workshop's studio, 236 S. Scott Ave., with the official 105th birthday party for Arizona 5 to 8 p.m, Tuesday, Feb. 14. This is where you'll find cake (at 7 p.m.) and can make a vision board about your dreams for the community. More information here.
