Purple Day – The Global Day of Epilepsy Awareness™
Purple Day is an international grassroots effort dedicated to increasing awareness about epilepsy worldwide. On March 26th annually, people in countries around the world are invited to wear purple and host events in support of epilepsy awareness. In 2011, people in dozens of countries on all continents except Antarctica participated in Purple Day. With your help, Purple Day 2012 will be even bigger!
Why Get Involved?
Epilepsy affects over 50 million people worldwide or approximately 1 in 100 people. That's more than multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy and Parkinson's disease combined.
Help Promote Epilepsy Awareness in Your Community
Wear purple on March 26 and encourage others to do the same. Host a Purple Day party or fundraising event at your home, school or workplace. And most importantly, get real facts about epilepsy by browsing this site and those of our partners. Learn about more ways to get involved and join the campaign in your region.
Become an Official Ambassador of Purple!
Want to start organizing events in your community? Apply to become an official Ambassador of Purple in your region. Then, deck yourself out in purple and start educating your friends, family, and even local politicians about epilepsy and seizures. For more information on becoming an Ambassador or to apply, please visit the Ambassadors of Purple page. Then, get more facts about epilepsy on the Quick Facts page.
How Did Purple Day Start
Purple Day was founded in 2008, by nine-year-old Cassidy Megan of Nova Scotia, Canada, with the help of the Epilepsy Association of Nova Scotia (EANS). Cassidy chose the colour purple after the international colour for epilepsy, lavender. The lavender flower is also often associated with solitude, which is representative of the feelings of isolation many people affected by epilepsy and seizure disorders often feel. Cassidy's goal is for people with epilepsy everywhere to know they are not alone. To learn more about Cassidy and Global Purple Day Partners EANS and The Anita Kaufmann Foundation (AKFUS), please visit the About Us page.
We Want to Hear From You
If you have a Purple Day event planned in your community, or if your school or workplace is going purple on March 26, we’d love to hear about it! Email the details to events(at)purpleday.org. For a complete listing of Purple Day events, please visit the Events page. For a list of schools, businesses, organizations, and politicians supporting Purple Day, visit the Participants page.
Epilepsy Association of Nova Scotia & The Anita Kaufmann Foundation
As global sponsors of Purple Day, we are committed to partnering with individuals and agencies around the world to promote epilepsy awareness. To date, the combined efforts of AKFUS and EANS (a member agency of the Canadian Epilepsy Alliance) have lead to the involvement of numerous organizations, schools, businesses, political figures and celebrities in countries around the world. Join us in wearing purple March 26, 2012 and please consider making a donation or fundraising on behalf of our global team.
Purple Day Slideshow
Thank you to all our dedicated Ambassadors of Purple, Purple Day Partners and Purple Day participants for promoting epilepsy awareness and sharing your Purple Day photos. You’ve made Cassidy's dream for a global day of epilepsy awareness come true.
Cassidy's Message - 2012
Hi, my name is Cassidy Megan and I am the founder of Purple Day.
I would like to thank everyone for all their hard work and support with Purple Day. I have had so much fun working on Purple Day with our global partners, the Epilepsy Association of Nova Scotia and The Anita Kaufmann Foundation, and all of you. I LOVE getting your emails, Tweets and pictures, and I also loved meeting so many of you.
Since Purple Day 2011, we have been busy planning for Purple day 2012 and lots has happened. In Canada, MP Geoff Regan introduced a bill to Parliament called the Purple Day Act and we are really hoping it will pass because then Purple Day will become an officially recognized day in Canada. In July, I flew to St. Louis because I was nominated and won the Build A Bears Huggable Heroes Award. I met a lot of great people while I was there.
Purple Day has grown so much bigger since we first started, and it’s bigger because of people like you who are helping and supporting us.
Did you know that Purple Day is now celebrated on every continent in the world except Antarctica and we now have 100’s of Ambassadors around the world who help spread the word about Purple Day and epilepsy awareness? That is sooo cool.
Our Ambassadors have done things like have Purple Day at their school or work, or they have had Purple Day events like parades, galas and celebrations around their town and cities. They have had the local landmarks lit up in purple, had concerts, and so much more.
There are so many ways that you too can help out with Purple Day and epilepsy awareness. I know that with all of us working together we can make Purple Day 2012 even bigger and better than before. Some of the things you can do to help are hold a party/gala, have a parade, do a walk, put up posters, contact the media, contact your politicians, get business involved, get bakeries to take part in the Great Purple Cupcake Challenge or whatever you can think of. I would LOVE to hear your ideas for Purple Day 2012 so don’t be afraid or shy. Just send us your ideas!
One of the things I would like to do in 2012 is change how they show epilepsy on TV and in books and stuff. It really upsets me that so many things show epilepsy in a bad way and how to deal with it the wrong way. It upsets me because it makes all the hard work we are doing to educate people about epilepsy even harder. It can also make people feel afraid to tell other people that they have epilepsy and that they are alone again. I am writing letters to shows and people that do this when I see them or hear about it, and you can do the same. Together we can teach them about epilepsy and get them to help us by showing epilepsy the right way.
One of the cool things I came up with to do this year is have an event that everyone in the world can do. It is called The 26 Days to Purple Day Challenge. We will have a challenge each day of the month leading up to Purple Day. I am really excited about this too. This year, we have lots of great ideas and events for Purple Day 2012 all over the world and I am so excited for them, for Purple Day 2012 and for working with YOU. I hope you are excited too.
Don’t forget to spread the word to your family and friends! Do you realize that if each person tells two people then the whole world would know?
Thanks again for all your help and support!!
Love from Cassidy Megan
Founder of Purple Day
Join the Share Your Story Forum and tell us what you’re doing for Purple Day. And remember - wear purple on March 26 to support epilepsy awareness worldwide! Read more...
As global Purple Day Campaign sponsors, The Anita Kaufmann Foundation and Epilepsy Association of Nova Scotia needs your help so we can produce and distribute Purple Day materials . Kindly make a donation so we can help others promote Purple Day for Epilepsy world wide.
New 2011 Purple Day materials available here.
Featured USA Event: Join Pennies for Purple Day. Collect pennies in your office, school or piggy bank and help support epilepsy educated in the USA! Learn more
Check out the new Faces of Purple Day for 2011!
Check out Bill C-278 - The Purple Day Act, House of Commons, Canada
(Note: A request to amend Bill C-278 is before the House of Commons, Canada to identify Purple Day in French as Journée lavande. Journée Lavande is the "official name" in French to identify Purple Day. In English, this bill remains known as The Purple Day Act)
Official Journée lavande logo
Purple Day T-Shirts are now available! Order yours today! All proceeds support Purple Day for epilepsy.
Wearing purple on March 26, 2012? Send us the name of your school or workplace to add to the list.
Cassidy Megan presents Flowers to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in Nova Scotia, Canada - June 2010.
Download Cassidy's Song on iTunes and help support Purple Day.
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