Turn it orange! MS Awareness Week 2010
March 8-14, 2010
You’ve told us you want to make orange the new pink, so we’re launching Operation Orange just in time for MS Awareness Week, March 8-14.
Help us turn the Greater Delaware Valley orange by wearing orange, posting an orange sign, incorporating orange into your Facebook page and more. You can also “act orange” by advocating for yourself and reaching out on behalf of others living with MS.
We’ll extend our MS Awareness campaign into April to attract attention for Walk MS, as well. Look for buildings and fountains around the city to be lit in orange during the last week of the month to promote the Philadelphia Walk MS site and support people living with MS.
Here's how you can be part of Operation Orange:
Visit your legislators: Make an appointment to speak with your local, state and/or federal legislators. Tell them your story and how they can better serve you.
Show your pride: Hang this sign (pdf) in your window or someplace else visible to encourage others to learn more about MS.
Write a letter to the editor: Write a short letter to your local newspaper explaining why it’s important that everyone join the movement. To make it even easier, you can use this template (.doc).
Register for Walk MS: It’s more important than ever that everyone living with MS and their friends and family get involved in Walk MS. This event funds programs and services for people in your community each year, and it’s accessible to everyone. Register by calling 1-800-883-WALK or online at walk4MS.org. We’ll see you there!
Dress in orange: Wear orange every day this week (or until you run out of orange clothes.) If someone asks about your color of choice, explain what you’re doing.
Donate your Facebook status: MS stops people from moving. Let people know it’s not stopping you by typing a verb and then “orange” in your status box. For example: “walking orange,” “driving orange,” “climbing orange.” Send a message to all your friends and ask them to do the same.
Volunteer: The National MS Society is a volunteer-driven organization, and that means we need you to help steer. We have opportunities available for people of all ability levels, skill sets and career backgrounds. Call us during MS Awareness Week to talk about how you can get involved or tell us more about yourself for future volunteer needs.
Talk to your doctor: Make an appointment with your neurologist or primary care physician to talk about relief for your MS symptoms. Or schedule a consultation with a specialist such as a urologist or mental health professional to tackle the symptoms head-on.
Speak out: Is there a business you frequent that could be more accessible? Make time during MS Awareness Week to reach out to the owner or manager, either in person or a letter. Explain that you have MS and how it affects you, and start a discussion about how the facility’s accessibility could be improved.
Add awareness to your digital identity: The National MS Society has designed a number of orange images to replace your online profile pictures, insert in Instant Messenger, make your computer’s wallpaper, etc.
Make a video: Create a short commercial about why advocacy is so important for people living with MS. Upload it to YouTube and e-mail a link to karen.mariner@pae.nmss.org. We’ll announce the winner during MS Awareness Week.
Design or vote for a T-shirt: Upload your Walk MS team’s T-shirt design to our Facebook page. Not a walker? Vote for the T-shirt you like best. We’ll announce the winner during MS Awareness Week.
Shop on eBay: The Society has been chosen to be one of two “featured nonprofits” on the eBay Giving Works homepage during the week of MS Awareness Week. Anyone that buys or sells items on eBay will have the opportunity to donate to the Society during the checkout process. In addition, a percentage of all sales of these items in our Community Marketplace will go to the Society.
Share photos of how you're “Moving It”: You're invited to submit photos that “show how your’re moving it” to our Flickr group tagged MSaware2010. This Flickr group will be embedded on the Society's national MS Awareness Week page and can also be used as a profile photo during the week.
2009 MS Awareness Week highlights
Over 60 people affected by MS made their collective mark against MS at New Jersey Lobby Day on March 5 at the State House in Trenton.
Not only did the group take part in workshops about the business of advocacy and directly discuss the issues facing people living with MS with members of the assembly, it also witnessed the passage of a resolution on the assembly floor recognizing MS Awareness Week. Click here to watch the assembly session.
Philly Improv promotes MS awareness