Each year we look forward to May Celiac Disease Awareness Month, as it provides an important opportunity to celebrate our community’s dedication to educate others, advocate for policy change, and accelerate research for celiac disease. This year, we are grateful to acknowledge the outpouring of support we received during the month of May.
The Celiac Disease Foundation kicked off the month with our Raise it. Give it. Get it! Campaign, supported by Proud Sponsor King Arthur Baking Company. Participants received a gluten-free goodie bag of baking products from King Arthur for donations between May 1 and May 31. Team Gluten-Free members and Student Ambassadors who raised money during that time also received King Arthur products as a thank you for supporting the Foundation and raising awareness in their communities.
This month we also continued our work to advance the development of better treatments, and one day, a cure for celiac disease – inviting our patient community to share experiences living with celiac disease through participation in our iCureCeliac® patient registry. We’re happy to report that we now have more than 13,000 individuals and families participating! If you haven’t already, please register and complete the surveys to ensure your experience is reflected in ongoing research efforts.
Other Proud Sponsors of the Celiac Disease Foundation helped raise awareness of celiac disease and supported the community through Instagram Giveaways, allowing entrants the opportunity to win exciting gluten-free prizes from each brand. We would like to thank Proud Sponsors Schär, Crunchmaster, Caremoli, Nairn’s, BFree, Nestlé, Jessica’s Natural Foods, and Jones Dairy Farm for making our #CDFMayGiveaways possible! Congratulations to the giveaway winners! We also extend our special thanks to Proud Sponsor Schär for offering a special discount on their gluten-free products to our supporters during this important month and partnering with us on our iCureCeliac® campaign. Our Proud Sponsors truly showed their commitment to the celiac disease community with their involvement.
We also joined forces this month with celiac disease organizations from around the world for #ShineALightOnCeliac, an international campaign of solidarity, which reminds us that we aren’t alone in the obstacles we face with celiac disease. On May 16, International Celiac Disease Awareness Day, landmarks around the world lit up to recognize celiac disease, and we extend special thanks to: Boston Children’s Hospital in Boston, MA, City Hall Dome in Baltimore, MD, US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, MN, Complejo Deportivo de San Bastián in Puerto Rico, King & Queen buildings in Atlanta, GA, Terminus in Atlanta, GA, and NCR Corporation in Atlanta, GA, for their support in raising awareness.
Also on May 16, the Celiac Disease Foundation supported 67 schools nationwide for Celiac Strong Day, an awareness day for celiac disease in learning environments. The Foundation provided students, teachers, parents, and faculty with materials to help educate their schools and classrooms, and CDF Proud Sponsor Nairn’s donated snacks to the participating schools. Our sincere gratitude to everyone who participated in empowering students and educating future generations about the seriousness of celiac disease!
With your support, and that of our Proud Sponsors and partners, we exceeded our goals for raising awareness and funds to accelerate research for treatments and a cure for celiac disease this May. We are deeply grateful for your generosity and look forward to continuing our important work together.