Thank you for an amazing Epilepsy Awareness Month! March 2022, our community came together to raise awareness in lots of new and exciting ways!
Thank you to everyone who sent in their purple photos, decorated their doors, classrooms, and homes during the month of March. The following schools were the lucky winners of the purple prize:
- Avon Maitland District School Board: Elizabeth Jezard, Grade 2/3 at Bedford Public School
- Bluewater District School Board: Mrs. Schaefers & Mrs. Jarvis’s Door from Hanover Heights Community School
- Conseil scolaire catholique Providence: Denise Mailloux-Pavlakovich 7e/8e année door at École St-Ambroise
- Thames Valley District School Board: T.Zavitz / J.Gibson’s door at North Meadows Public School
- Lambton Kent District School Board: Mrs. Henry’s grade 6/7/8 door at Aberarder Central School
The Workplace Campaign purple prize was won by Westminster Secondary School’s Vision Department’s Door submitted by Sue Cook and the Purple People Campaign prize was won by Rhonda Bradley of Chatham-Kent.
A huge thank you to Lexi, Carys, Madison, and others who shared their epilepsy journey with us. We appreciate everyone sharing their stories. We appreciate everyone sharing their stories. If you’re interested in sharing, please contact [email protected]
There were so many amazing events and campaigns during Epilepsy Awareness Month such as:
- The Purple Pansy Flower Boutique in Chatham sold purple daisies to raise awareness and funds. $525 was donated to ESWO.
- Our H.O.P.E. award winner Ava Pitre’s goal was to raise awareness for epilepsy and raise funds for anti-suffocation pillows for families. Ava’s passion for spreading epilepsy awareness drives these Epilepsy Awareness Month fundraising efforts, which have raised thousands of dollars and provided pillows to 28 families (and climbing) living with nocturnal seizures!
- Sam Jam, an annual event held in memory of Sam (Fen) Richmond, at Storm Stayed Brewing Company with $510.50 in donations going to Epilepsy Southwestern Ontario.
- Volunteers joined us at a London Lightning game to help spread awareness and host a 50/50, and the Devonshire Mall to show our purple.
- Sarnia Legionnaires showed their community support by hosting a Purple Game.
- Thank you to all of our clients who joined us for one of our March Epilepsy Awareness Month parties. We gathered in Chatham for Seize the Paw, in Kingsville at Colasanti’s, in London at East Lions Community Centre. It was so lovely to get together!
- Local landmarks turned their lights purple to spread awareness.
- Thank you to everyone who supported and participated in our 1 in 100 challenge. One in 100 people live with epilepsy, so for the month of March, we encouraged people to share their 100, while raising $100.
- Huge thank you to the community of Bearded Custom Computer on Twitch! They were able to raise $1,005 for ESWO during their Purple Day Stream.
- Kaci’s goal was to raise awareness and to help ESWO so others can get the same support that she received by raising $1500. She planned to cut all of her hair off if she met her goal! She surpassed it by raising $1,705 and held up her deal and shaved her head!
- Terri Lynn chose to participate in support of her daughter Izzy and to bring hope to others living with epilepsy, by helping spread awareness and raising funds! Terri Lynn’s goal was to run 100km and raise $1,000 and she exceeded that goal by raising $2,840.
- Dominic’s goal for the 1 in 100 campaign was to help people and their families have support and services available to them. To help spread awareness and raise funds for epilepsy awareness month, Dominic was able to raise $505!
- Chad’s 100 Challenge was to collect 100… TEN dollar PURPLE bills and commit to biking 100km! And he once again blew that goal out of the water, raising a whopping $3,455 and biking 140.08km!
- Erin helped raise funds for the 1 in 100 Campaign from Norwex sales reaching her goal of $200 in donations.
- Caileigh Walsh raised $50 in her 1 in 100 Campaign to help people and their families with epilepsy.
Huge thank you to everyone that fundraised or participated in any of these events. If we’ve missed your initiative, and you would like it to be added to the list above, please send [email protected] an email. We are so grateful for everyone’s support and so proud to see the awareness that was established throughout the month.
To view all the purple nation images and events that happened this year, head to our Flickr page. If you have any photos that you haven’t yet shared, please send them to [email protected].
We encourage people to continue to spread awareness and share their stories all year long! We can’t wait for Epilepsy Awareness Month 2023!