How to rally your community this September
August 22, 2018
September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month
This September, you can affect meaningful changes that help save lives. Seize the day – every day – to spark conversations about ovarian cancer by telling your friends, family members and even perfect strangers what they can do to help women living with this disease.
Here’s how you can inspire people in your community to take action.
- Represent awareness on Wear Teal Day
How many shades of teal are in your closet? The colour of the ovarian cancer awareness ribbon is a major must have on Friday, September 7. Make a bold fashion statement and wear all the teal you can get your hands on. When people ask about your outfit, take a moment to tell them about ovarian cancer and how they can advocate for research funding in a matter of minutes at ovariancanada.org/advocate.
“To me, teal means hope and inspiration. I’ll be wearing my teal tee and a pair of fancy teal runners and am hoping others will join me,” says Flowergirl, a volunteer moderator of the OVdialogue online community. “If there’s a whole bunch of us wearing teal, people are naturally curious as to why - and that’s our chance to bring awareness by sharing our stories and inviting people to get involved.”
Flowergirl’s teal shoes ready for the big day
Find helpful conversation starters in This conversation can save lives.
- Participate in the Ovarian Cancer Canada Walk of Hope
Join people in your community who are banding together at the country’s largest, most powerful event of its kind to raise funds and awareness. The Ovarian Cancer Canada Walk of Hope is where women and families living with ovarian cancer form a circle of support and rally for change. Funds raised help women live fuller, better and longer lives.
“It will be so nice to connect with other women and families touched by this disease. I'm honoured to be joined by my family members, friends, and colleagues. My 3 year old daughter will be out walking with us, as well as my 2 year old nephew,” says Amy MacRae in Vancouver, BC. “To me, the Walk represents our voice. It says, we're still here. We have ovarian cancer but we're still going and we're still living. It represents the hope that we hold for better treatments and hopefully one day, a cure.”
Amy and her daughter
There’s still time to register and fundraise! The Walk takes place in most communities on Sunday, September 9.*
- Rally your favourite people to do something for ovarian cancer research
Take a few minutes at your next get together to let guests know that funding shortfalls are stalling scientific progress against ovarian cancer. From there, invite everyone to take out their smartphones and go to ovariancanada.org/advocate to send a letter to their elected representatives in support of more research funding.
Ovarian Cancer Canada is closer than ever to securing a $10 million federal investment in research and if more people weigh in, it could affect life-saving research. For tips on how to help build a groundswell of support, go to Get your community involved.
- Challenge your friends and family on social media
Be sure to follow Ovarian Cancer Canada on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Throughout the month of September, you’ll find shareable graphics to help you call your community to action. From Wear Teal Day to the Ovarian Cancer Canada Walk of Hope to efforts to urge federal support of research, there will be something for everyone.
“I’ve always found it cathartic to share on social media. Every time you press post it’s like a weight has been lifted off your shoulders, particularly when you hear back from those you’ve reached,” says Melissa George, who was diagnosed August 2016. “It’s a way to shine a light on what you’re going through and issues that affect you. People need to know about the lack of research funding, they need to know about the research that is happening and how much there is to do. ”
Adam Gosse and Melissa George on a recent vacation
Press share or retweet to your heart’s content because every click counts as we work together to gather support for urgently needed change.
Ready to get started? In your conversations, please share the following key points to urge people to do something for women’s health:
- Survival rates for ovarian cancer have not improved in 50 years because shortfalls in government funding have stalled scientific progress against this disease
- An immediate and additional investment of $10 million from the Canadian government would help enable scientific discoveries and research breakthroughs with potential to save women’s lives
- Every voice matters in this important issue. At ovariancanada.org/advocate you can send a letter to your federal elected representative about the need for more ovarian cancer research funding in just minutes
As always, volunteers are planning a variety of events and activities across the country. Go to the Find local events page to see what’s happening close to you. If you have any questions, please reach out to the Regional Director for your area.
* In Charlottetown, PEI; Yarmouth, NS; and Ajax, ON the Walk takes place on Saturday, September 8, 2018.