Locals celebrating Labor Day by the river

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - Plenty of locals headed to Gateway Park on Labor Day to enjoy the Colorado River on their day off.

People did a variety of things for the holiday, from setting up tubes and floating down the river, to cooking and eating, and even just enjoying the water under the hot sun.

A local teacher shares what this holiday means for hardworking Americans like herself.

"It's a day for us to stop and appreciate all the hardworking people that are out there and just take a moment and be blessed that we are able to work, blessed that we are able to make money for our families, and be able to enjoy these little things like this," said Michelle Sievert, a local kindergarten teacher.

Apart from having a day off, many people at the river saw this as an opportunity to spend more time with family.

Jason Palacio says he works two jobs and 50 hours a week, so Labor Day is just another chance to connect with his daughter.

"Just to take some time and hang out with daughter, man it's like, I have a little bit of time so I kind of always want to spend it with her and she's being so young, like she needs me to be there all the time, but very important to definitely take a day off and relax with her," said Palacio.

Local professional baseball player Irving Lopez shares that he used to come this river as a kid, and shares how special it is to enjoy the holiday with his family while away from the baseball diamond.

"It's a place that everybody knows here in Yuma, so they come here and enjoy it, a little bit of sun, a little bit of water, and just family time, you know, that should be special for everybody," said Lopez.

Passed by an act of congress in June of 1894, Labor Day was declared an official holiday to be celebrated on the first Monday of each September.  

Which to this day, is exactly what these families and thousands of others are doing across the country.