POINT PLEASANT — There is more to the month of November than just turkey and pre-Christmas shopping.

Many causes are celebrated this month. Perhaps one of the most widely known causes, Veterans Day, will take place on Wednesday, Nov. 11.

Veterans Day is an annual American holiday honoring military veterans, and is both a federal and state holiday. Locally, there are several Veterans Day celebrations scheduled. There will be a Veterans Day parade on Saturday, Nov. 7 at 1 p.m. with lineup slated for 12:30 p.m. The parade will take place on Main Street in Point Pleasant. For more information on the parade, call Dennis Rayburn at (304) 674-3663.

Wahama High School also will host an assembly to honor area veterans on Tuesday, Nov. 10 at 9 a.m. All area veterans are encouraged to attend. In order to be recognized during the assembly, veterans must call the school at (304) 773-5539 to provide their name.

In addition, local Fruth Pharmacies will celebrate Veterans Day by offering all veterans and active military a 10 percent discount on Wednesday, Nov. 11.

On the health front, November serves as American Diabetes Month, which is a national movement to stop diabetes. According to the American Diabetes Association, diabetes is a serious disease that leads to potentially life-threatening complications such as heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, blindness and amputation. The American Diabetes Association encourages individuals to help stop diabetes by educating others on the disease as well as raising money for advocacy and diabetes research.

Another health issue celebrated during November is Prematurity Awareness Month, which was launched by the March of Dimes organization. According to the March of Dimes Web site, premature birth is a leading cause of infant death. Babies who are born early often face many health problems, such as cerebral palsy and mental retardation. Locally, Prematurity Awareness Month will be celebrated in Point Pleasant. Terry Eller, community director of the March of Dimes, is currently seeking volunteers to participate in a road block in Point Pleasant to raise money for the cause. Those interested are asked to call Eller at (304) 675-6029.

November also is designated as National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, there are more than five million Americans living with Alzheimer’s. The goal of the cause is to educate others on what exactly Alzheimer’s is by promoting awareness.

On the topic of education, National Readers Week is celebrated in November. Locally, several elementary schools will participate in the cause by hosting Read to Me Days, in which local business leaders as well as volunteers from the community will visit area schools to read to students.

As for the environmental front, America Recycles Day is celebrated in the month of November. The day, which is a nationwide initiative by the Keep America Beautiful campaign, is slated for Sunday, Nov. 15. According to the Web site, www.americarecyclesday.org, America Recycles Day is the only nationally recognized day dedicated to encouraging Americans to recycle and buy recycled products. The purpose of the day is to promote the social, environmental and economic benefits of recycling as well as to encourage more people to join the movement toward creating a better natural environment.

Other causes celebrated this month include Lung Cancer Awareness Month, National Hospice Month, National Novel Writing Month, National Family Caregivers Month, National Inspirational Role Models Month, National American Indian Heritage Month, National Adoption Month, National Pancreatic Cancer Month and Military Family Appreciation Month.