Each year, we proudly embrace the unity and generosity of our community during May Celiac Disease Awareness Month. Even amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the celiac community remained dedicated to raising awareness and funds for critical celiac disease research and pivotal advocacy efforts. Strengthening this momentum was the celebration of the Celiac Disease Foundation’s 30th Anniversary and special #GivingTuesdayNow, making this May Celiac Disease Awareness Month one to truly remember.

We kicked off May with our Raise it. Give it. Get it! campaign, in partnership with CDF Proud Sponsor Schär. Participants who donated during the month of May received gluten-free product from Schär. Team Gluten-Free members and CDF Student Ambassadors who raised money during May also received Schär gluten-free products as a thank you for supporting the Celiac Disease Foundation. Additional Proud Sponsors raised awareness through posting educational material on their websites and social media channels.

In celebration of our 30th Anniversary, we posted on Facebook and Twitter each day about the history of the organization and our most notable achievements over the last 30 years. We began with the first post on May 1, highlighting the founding of the Celiac Disease Foundation in 1990, and ended on May 31, featuring our accomplishments thus far in 2020. This highlight reel of achievements allowed us to tell the story of how the Foundation started as a small meeting in our Founder’s living room, hoping to give those with celiac a sense of community and education about the disease, and the incredible progress we have made over the years as the nation’s leading disease advocacy organization.

On May 5, a special #GivingTuesdayNow was designated as a new global effort to support nonprofit organizations economically impacted by COVID-19. This global day of giving and unity served as a reminder that despite the unprecedented challenges caused by the pandemic, the celiac community supports our tremendous efforts and is counting on us to persevere.

Throughout the month of May, we joined with celiac disease organizations from around the world in an international campaign of solidarity. The Celiac Disease Foundation promoted the #CeliacUnited and #CoeliacUnited hashtags on social media for our community to share and show support for those with celiac disease worldwide. A true reminder of camaraderie during uncertain times, this global campaign strengthened the message that we are stronger together in the face of crisis.

On International Celiac Disease Awareness Day, May 16, in downtown Los Angeles, the U.S. Bank Tower’s Crown Lights lit up green to help raise awareness for celiac disease. The Association of European Coeliac Societies (AOECS) also contributed to supporting International Coeliac Day by creating a Message of Hope video for people with celiac disease around the world. The Celiac Disease Foundation is proud to be an affiliate member of AOECS, a non-profit umbrella of celiac societies who collaborate to raise awareness of celiac disease across the globe. Watch the Celiac Disease Foundation team share our Message of Hope at 2:29.

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 appreciate your generosity and look forward to continuing our important work together.