Posted by: Sue Krantz, CPA

As an advocate and member of the Board of Directors of the Epilepsy Association, I am so excited that Zinner & Co. will once again be supporting Purple Day, the Global Day of Epilepsy Awareness held annually on March 26th.

More than 3 million Americans, including 55,000 Northeast Ohioans, have some form of epilepsy. Epilepsy affects more people than Parkinson’s disease, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis and muscular dystrophy combined. Of the major chronic medical conditions, epilepsy is among the least understood even though 1 in 3 adults knows someone with the disorder. 

Purple Day was conceived by a young girl, Cassidy Megan, in Nova Scotia, Canada as Global Epilepsy Awareness Day. The name ‘Purple Day’ was chosen after the international color for epilepsy: lavender. The lavender flower is associated with solitude, which is representative of the feelings of isolation many people affected by epilepsy and seizure disorders often feel. The Purple Day goal is for people with epilepsy everywhere to know they are not alone and to increase the public’s awareness of epilepsy. Purple Day is now celebrated on every continent in the world, including Antarctica. Our own Terminal Tower will be lit up in purple on March 26th.

So how can you get involved and create awareness of epilepsy?

• Wear purple to work or school on March 26th, and ask others to wear purple too.
• Tweet this message or change your Facebook status to read: “On March 26, I’m wearing PURPLE to support EPILEPSY AWARENESS. Help spread the word!”
• Tell the Epilepsy Association how you are supporting Purple Day by using social media websites like Facebook, Twitter, and the agency’s blog at www.epilepsyinfo.org.
• Visit the epilepsy awareness booth at the SouthPark Mall in Strongsville on March 23rd and 24th or at the Great Lakes Mall in Mentor on March 26th.
• Join the Epilepsy Association at their annual Purple Day Party Fundraiser. Meet up with other Cleveland-area epilepsy supporters at PJ McIntyre’s Irish Pub, located at 17119 Lorain Ave., from 5:30-7:30 pm for happy hour. Tickets are $25 and include appetizers and 2 drinks. Purchase your pre-sale tickets here.