Fibromyalgia Day, May 12th

Countdown to AWARENESS DAY 2006: Timeline for Success
By Corin Walson, National Fibromyalgia Association
Director of Public Relations & Marketing

Reprinted with permission from the National Fibromyalgia Association.

To Support Group Leaders, Members and Advocates:

National Fibromyalgia Awareness Day is May 12, 2006. Since its inception in 1997, the National Fibromyalgia Association has led Awareness Day activities nationwide and globally in an effort to increase awareness of fibromyalgia and other chronic pain illnesses, particularly in the media.

With the support and cooperation of many Support Groups around the country and the NFA’s corporate partners, last year’s Fibromyalgia Awareness Day was one of the most successful ever in terms of media exposure and raising general awareness.

Support Group Leaders and their members disseminated the NFA’s Public Service Announcements, posters, banners and Fibromyalgia AWARE magazines to members of their community and local media. Support Groups also organized picnics, seminars, lectures, fashion shows, meetings and Open House activities for this special day. Many of you were featured in your local media!

As part of the NFA’s Proclamation campaign, Support Group leaders requested and received proclamations in seven states, including four gubernatorial proclamations, declaring May 12, 2005 as National Fibromyalgia Awareness Day.

It was truly an amazing Awareness Day, thanks to all of you!

With your continued support, I know we can make Awareness Day 2006 even better!

Here’s how:

The key to a successful campaign is early planning! May 12 may seem like a long way away, but not when there are so many other things going on in our lives, like family and work, and especially fibromyalgia! We want you to pace yourselves, enjoy this special day, and not overextend or feel all that pressure that comes with last minute running around.

So, here is a suggested timeline from now until Awareness Day to plan for a great media and outreach campaign:

FEBRUARY: Location! Location! Location!

If your group is planning on hosting an event, start looking around for a venue now. Many places are booked months in advance. Budget is always an issue, so try to find places that offer free space for community groups even for just a few hours. Libraries, hospitals, community and health centers (YMCA’s come to mind) and even some doctors will offer their office space for after patient hours.
Same applies to speakers: the more advance notice you give them, the more likely they will be able to fit you into their calendars. And remember, this is also an ELECTION YEAR! Don’t be shy: go ahead and invite them to attend your event. Not only do they add prestige to your event, but this is a great opportunity to bring Awareness Day to the attention of public officials and candidates.

MARCH: No madness allowed!

Depending on your local official’s requirements, March might be a good time to put in your request for a proclamation, especially if your group is seeking one from your state’s governor. Click here for a sample proclamation.
March is also a good time to start tracking down those health reporters. Write down the names of reporters (bylines) who write about health or community events. Call or go to the websites of newspapers, television or radio stations and get the reporter’s contact information. For Calendar of Events, find out when items need to be submitted for publication, not just with media but also community groups’ newsletters and elected officials. (Usually, it’s 4 to 6 weeks before the event.)

APRIL: Shower them with information!

Now that you have your date (May 12 or as close to it as possible), time, location, and topic for your event, it’s time to start letting everyone know about it! Send a “Public Service Announcement” to the media. Send a “Save The Date” announcement or a one-page flyer about your event to members of your support group, family, friends, neighbors and your local communities. Don’t forget the hospitals and health care providers!
Keep it simple: your flyer or announcements should just include the name of your event, date, time and location, cost (if any), contact information and a brief description about Fibromyalgia Awareness Day and your support group.
Order the 2006 Awareness Day posters, banners, specialty pins and magazines from the National Fibromyalgia Association. (We will have these available by middle of March!)

MAY: Awareness Day!

Follow up with reporters to make sure they have received your announcements and information. But, remember, there’s a fine thin line between following up and being too pushy with the media. Always be polite and helpful with information. Look for more Media Tips in upcoming articles.

Well, that’s it for now. In the next article, I will go more in depth with each activity, and also offer some tips from other support group leaders on lessons learned from past Awareness Day activities. If you want to share your own tips, please email them to me at cwalson@fmaware.org.

STAY TUNED! We will be unveiling our new theme for this year in a few short weeks.

Thank you!

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