In the six years that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been using #BFF: Building Forever Families in celebrating National Family Week, celebrity couple Eric “Eruption” and Rona Tai have actively supported the campaign.
“Rona and I love our family, and it brings us great joy,” shares Eric who rose to fame as a noontime show mainstay almost a decade ago. “It is our absolute pleasure to help the government and the Church emphasize the importance of family,” he adds. “September won’t be complete for me and Eric if we don’t participate in #BFF: Building Forever Families activities,” declares Rona.
Eric and Rona are excited to host the “#BFF Family Run +1,” the Family Week kickoff event on Saturday, September 21 at the Mall of Asia Concert Grounds. It will be a fun run with several stations scattered along the route where engaging activities will emphasize principles taught in the “Family: A Proclamation to the World.” Members attending are encouraged to bring their +1: a returning member or someone not of our faith.
“The inspired decision to continue the spirit of reaching out to the one emphasized in the 99+1birthday initiative for President Nelson is so special to me because I was Eric’s +1,” confides Rona. “I was baptized as a child but was inactive for more than ten years when Eric and I met.”
What about those who can’t make it to the kickoff event?
“You can organize your own BFF Fun Run in your area as a culminating event to cap off your Family Week celebration,” advises Eric. Stakes and districts traditionally hold a culminating activity on the Saturday of Family Week, September 28 in this year’s case. “Just make sure you also include the +1 concept by inviting less active members or nonmember friends.”
Even the stakes participating in the September 21 kickoff event are encouraged to organize their own culminating activities on the 27th, be it on a stake level or individual ward level. “They can have similar fun runs for those who were unable to join the kickoff, or any other fun activity that will allow them to learn about the principles taught in the Family Proclamation. They should also bring their +1,” Rona emphasizes.
Part of the 2024 celebration of Family Week is the week-long series of online programming that started during the pandemic. With their huge social media following, the couple is the perfect choice to as hosts.
This year’s program is called “#BFF FamCon: Family Conversations,” a daily magazine show with fun segments and meaningful discussions on issues and concerns facing Filipino families today. The Tais will be joined by teen actress Xia Vigor and Sister Diane Cruz, an Area Organization Adviser, and a Family Life and Child Development expert.
Each episode of the show will also feature segments like a musical performance, “EATCetera,” a cooking demo where couples will share beloved recipes as they talk about Welfare and Self-reliance principles that have blessed their lives, and “Family Talk with Xia” where Xia Vigor will showcase heartwarming stories on the 99+1 initiative, Family History, and other topics. Each interview comes with a surprise ending!
The 2024 celebration of National Family Week promises to highlight the ways we can build forever families, but Eric and Rona Tai advise us to make it a year-round endeavor. “Let us make #BFF: Building Forever Families a daily thing by loving our families and making sure that our homes are centered on Jesus Christ.”