Children’s Tumor Foundation Announces New Initiative for World NF Awareness Day
NEW YORK – February 6, 2019 – Over 2.5 million people worldwide are affected by the genetic disorder neurofibromatosis, also known as NF, a condition that surprisingly few have heard of. The Children’s Tumor Foundation is working to change that by leading a movement to “Wear Blue & Green on May Seventeen.” May 17 is World NF Awareness Day, and this commitment to wear blue and green, the official colors of NF, is aimed at raising awareness for a disease that needs more attention, and even more importantly, a cure.
Neurofibromatosis is a life-changing disease that causes tumors to grow on nerves throughout the body, and it affects all populations equally. For some, the tumors appear on the outside and are highly visible, and for many others, they grow internally but are no less devastating. NF can lead to deafness, blindness, bone abnormalities, disfigurement, intense pain, and even cancer. The Children’s Tumor Foundation, through its stated mission of driving research, expanding knowledge, and advancing care is the largest nongovernmental funder of NF research in the world.
“Increased recognition of NF is critical to driving the life-saving research that will benefit NF patients and their families,” said Simon Vukelj, Chief Marketing Officer of the Children’s Tumor Foundation. “By encouraging everyone to wear blue and green on May 17, we’re looking to make the NF movement even more accessible. The campaign will open to all, and be creative and engaging and draw lots of attention, but for NF patients, their friends, and their family, it’s also a chance to unite their voices and declare that NF is a serious condition that deserves everyone’s attention, and that NF patients deserve a cure.”
The ‘wear blue and green on may seventeen’ effort takes place alongside the Foundation’s month-long ‘May is NF Awareness Month’ initiative, including the campaign to Shine a Light on NF, in which hundreds of buildings, bridges, monuments, and landmarks around the world show their support in the fight against NF by lighting up in blue and green, the official colors of the campaign. Launched by the Children’s Tumor Foundation in 2014, the Shine a Light on NF campaign grew to 205 landmarks around the world last year, lighting up in recognition of the NF cause. In addition to well-known locations in the United States, including Niagara Falls, light-ups took place in the United Kingdom, Canada, Italy, Austria, and New Zealand.
Other NF Awareness Month activities will include both online and community events designed to boost both education and funding for the cause, and are outlined at ctf.org/nfawareness. Ideas for how to wear blue and green on may 17, including how to show a “passion for fashion” will be available as well.
The official hashtag, or social sharing rally cry that connects the NF community globally for all of these efforts, is #EndNF.
Partners can join the growing Shine a Light on NF campaign by visiting ctf.org/shinealight or contacting the Children’s Tumor Foundation at media@ctf.org.
Exclusive blue and green merchandise can be purchased at www.ctf.org/store.
For more information on the Children’s Tumor Foundation, as well as all NF Awareness Month campaign initiatives, please visit www.ctf.org/nfawareness.
About Children’s Tumor Foundation
The Children’s Tumor Foundation is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization dedicated to finding effective treatments for the millions of people worldwide living with neurofibromatosis (NF), a term for three distinct disorders: NF1, NF2, and schwannomatosis. NF causes tumors to grow on nerves throughout the body and may lead to blindness, deafness, bone abnormalities, disfigurement, learning disabilities, disabling pain, and cancer. NF affects 1 in every 3,000 births across all populations equally. There is no cure yet – but the Children’s Tumor Foundation mission of driving research, expanding knowledge, and advancing care for the NF community fosters our vision of one day ending NF. For more information, please visit www.ctf.org.
