Be a part of the National Fibromyalgia Association's “Fibromyalgia Awareness Day” – May 12, 2005

April 22, 2005

The National Fibromyalgia Association's Awareness Day campaign for this year is called “Be Aware! Be Active” which aims to raise awareness of the physically debilitating effects of fibromyalgia (FM) while promoting the benefits of moderate and gradual physical activity and exercise in improving FM and other chronic pain illness symptoms. The campaign will also support and highlight the advocacy efforts of fibromyalgia and other chronic pain illness support groups and advocates nationwide.

Here's what you can do to BE AWARE! BE ACTIVE!

“Request Rosie on the Radio!”

Recording artist Rosie Hamlin of Rosie & the Originals , is our cover story in the latest issue of Fibromyalgia AWARE magazine. Rosie, who was diagnosed with fibromyalgia in 2000, wrote and recorded the gold hit song “Angel Baby” in 1960.

To honor Rosie for her courage, spirit and dedication to helping raise awareness of fibromyalgia, we are calling on all our supporters out there to call your local “Oldies” radio stations on May 12, 2005 and request them to play “Angel Baby”. We want thousands of radio stations around the country playing “Angel Baby” on Awareness Day! If you need a little help with what to say on the air, visit the NFA's website to download a sample script. Available in Spanish, too! You can also visit Rosie's website find out more about Rosie and order the “Angel Baby” cd: www.Rosieandtheoriginals.com.

Our Partners

For Awareness Day 2005, top health and fitness organizations are partnering with the National Fibromyalgia Association to help promote and raise awareness of “ Fibromyalgia Awareness Day 2005 .”

Show your support by visiting our Awareness Day Partners websites to find out more about their “fibro-friendly” products and services. Check their websites periodically for updates on upcoming Awareness Day events!

Awareness Day partners include:

WalkStyles, Inc.(www.walkstyles.com)
Curves International (www.curvesinternational.com)
International Council on Active Aging (www.icaa.cc)
Rehabilitation Institute of Santa Barbara (www.risb.org)
Rose Bowl Aquatics Center (www.rosebowlaquatics.org)

Tell us your story!

From now until May 12, 2005 the NFA is accepting essay submissions, 200 words or less, describing personal experiences on “being active/being aware with fibromyalgia.” Winning stories will be featured in an upcoming issue of the NFA's online newsletter. Stories and photo may be emailed to Elisabeth Deffner at edeffner@fmaware.org.

Wristbands - “Be Aware! Be Active”

For a $5 donation to the National Fibromyalgia Association, donors will receive a rubber wristband with the NFA logo and the inscription: Be Aware! Be Active!. The wristband also comes with a wallet-sized pledge card: “I, (donor's name) pledge to Be Aware! Be Active! for fibromyalgia awareness!” Other awareness items include a flyer you can distribute advertising May12 as National Fibromyalgia Awareness Day, and a beautiful color poster giving practical steps to "Be Active". We also still have a limited number of our NFA fibromyalgia awareness cloisonné pins.

NFA Proclamation Campaign

Established in 1999, the National Fibromyalgia Association's Proclamation campaign continues to be a popular Awareness Day activity in which fibromyalgia advocates solicit proclamations from their elected local, state and federal officials declaring May 12 as Fibromyalgia Awareness Day. Since the program's inception, the NFA and its supporters have collected hundreds of proclamations. Visit www.FMaware.org to download a sample proclamation.

About Fibromyalgia Awareness Day

Fibromyalgia Awareness Day, held on May 12 of each year, is a widely celebrated, high- profile media event observed by the millions of Americans with fibromyalgia and other chronic pain illnesses. Since its inception in 1997, the National Fibromyalgia Association has led Awareness Day activities nationwide in an effort to increase awareness of fibromyalgia and other chronic pain illnesses.