On behalf of A.J. Jacobs and the whole family, thank you so much for your interest in hosting a Branch Party of the Global Family Reunion on June 6th, 2015! This can only truly be a global event with the help of family members like you!

We’re excited to provide your branch party with a free live-stream of our amazing line-up of speakers and entertainers, including  PBS host Henry Louis Gates, comedian Nick Kroll and genealogist D. Joshua Taylor.

You will be joining dozens of other events around the world, both big and small, in all sorts of venues. Some of the larger events will be held at the Family Search Library in Salt Lake City, the Midwest Genealogy Center in Missouri and the Clayton Library in Houston. But we also have events in people’s homes and in local parks. The events are truly global, including ones in China, Bulgaria and New Zealand.

The Branch Parties can be as diverse as the individual members in our family tree. Local logistics will be left up to the local hosts. We will support and encourage you in your efforts, but ultimately your party will be planned and executed on a local level.

Can’t make the New York Reunion, or a Public Branch Party Event? Consider gathering your closest (proximity wise) family for a House Branch Party (reunion) of your own! You can stream our great programming, challenge yourselves in three-legged races and pie-eating contests, and send us your family photo to get counted in the Global Family Reunion grand total!  We’d like to cover a global map with virtual pins of all the House Party sites. Will your house be represented?”

Click here for the list of confirmed Branch Parties.

Branch Party FAQ

1. What are the benefits of hosting a GFR Branch Party?

The Global Family Reunion is an amazing opportunity for individuals and local organizations across the world to come together and celebrate our human connection to one another. You can take part in history by organizing a satellite event (aka GFR Branch Party) in your community. By doing so, you’ll get a live stream of our fascinating lineup of speakers, and you’ll leverage the massive attention surrounding the biggest, most inclusive and most entertaining family reunion in history.

Here are a few other reasons why you or your organization might consider organizing a GFR Branch Party:

• It’s a great way to bring together, engage with and learn about other members of the human family;
• It allows you an opportunity to reach and educate potential new members;
• You can host the event in a way which suits you or your organization;
• Satellite events are a great way to continue the conversation about our relation to one another;
• It’s great experience that allows you to join in a conversation with others around the world.

2.  What support will the Global Family Reunion Provide?

We’ll provide as much support as we can, including:

• Making available a live-stream of the New York event, so that local attendees can watch our amazing lineup of speakers and performers

• List the Branch Party on the Global Family Reunion Website

• Link local organizers up with volunteers who can help connect people in their local area to the Global Family Tree

• Provide tools and tips for marketing local events, building partnerships and seeking sponsors

• Provide a kit of suggested activities for the Branch Parties

• Provide a pre-recorded welcome message from AJ Jacobs and other notable cousins that can be downloaded and played at local events

• Integrate Branch Parties into main Global Family Reunion in meaningful ways. For instance, budget permitting, we’ll help set up a live-link from local parties back to the Global Family Reunion, so that we can all sing “We Are Family” together.

• Branch Parties will be encouraged to email or upload a photo of their family by a designated time on June 6th. Those photos will then be printed and held in the larger family photo at the Global Family Reunion. If  one zooms in enough, all the members at the Branch Parties will also be in the main family photo!

3. Who can host branch parties?

Almost anyone who wants to tap into the enthusiasm for the Global Family Reunion: Libraries, genealogy societies, families, individuals, businesses, community groups, fraternal organizations. We have dozens of satellite events already set up. Some are at big libraries, including The Family History Library in Salt Lake City and the Midwest Genealogy Center in Missouri. Some are at smaller locations, like the Fairview Public Library in Margaretville, New York . And some are by individuals in places like Austin, Texas, Albuquerque, New Mexico and Huntsville, Alabama.

4. Do all Branch Parties have to be the same?

The Branch Parties can be as diverse as the individual members in our family tree. Local logistics will be left up to the local hosts. We will support and encourage all efforts, but ultimately the parties will need to be planned and executed on a local level.

5. Are the Branch Parties required to sell tickets?

Each local event can choose whether to keep their event free or charge admission. If a Branch Party does have a surplus at the end, it can be donated it to a charity of their choice (including their own organization, if it’s a non-profit), though Alzheimer’s is the preferred cause of the main Global Family Reunion.

6. What if I just want to gather some of my close family for a get-together? Does that count?

Yes! You can stream our great programming, challenge yourselves in three-legged races and pie-eating contests, and send us your family photo to get counted in the Global Family Reunion grand total!  Host a House Branch Party and invite your family for a reunion of your own.

7. How do we get started?

Contact our Branch Party Liaison, Angel Hundley, at ahundley@me.com, and she will help you get going!