International Scoliosis Awareness Day 2016

Scoliosis is a disorder with abnormal sideways or lateral curvature of the spine. It is not a rare condition but there is still very little knowledge or understanding about scoliosis and how it affects the lives of patients and their families, which can leave them feeling isolated and unsure where to turn.

Many of you may not know that Jamaican sprinter and gold medalist Usain Bolt has scoliosis. In an interview Bolt described how scoliosis affected his training in the early part of his career:

“When I was younger it wasn’t really a problem. But you grow and it gets worse. My spine’s really curved bad [makes “S” shape with finger]. But if I keep my core and back strong, the scoliosis doesn’t really bother me. So I don’t have to worry about it as long as I work hard. The early part of my career, when we didn’t really know much about it, it really hampered me because I got injured every year.”

In 2013 Scoliosis Association (UK) launched International Scoliosis Awareness Day. The aim was to unite people from all over the world to create positive public awareness of scoliosis, promote education, and bring together those affected by the condition.

National Scoliosis Awareness Month takes place yearly in June with the goal of highlighting the growing need for education, early detection and awareness to the public about scoliosis and its prevalence within the community.

ISAD 2016 is on Saturday 25th June 2016. Show your support and get involved in this year's very special Got Your Back campaign!  To find out how you can help visit www.sauk.org.uk 

Follow SAUK on twitter @ScoliosisUK     #scoliosisgotyourback

Got your Back Mug £5 GBP available from www.sauk.org.uk/shop/shop-online

International Scoliosis Awareness Day

Saturday 28th June, 2014 - Speak up for scoliosis!

On Saturday 29th June 2013, the first ever International Scoliosis Awareness Day (ISAD) was launched! Headed by SAUK (www.sauk.org.uk), people with scoliosis from around the world united to raise awareness and funds for curvature of the spine!  This was the first international scoliosis awareness day with the online community getting active, photos and stories being shared, and events going on around the country.

The next one will be on Saturday 28th June 2014 and, with your help, ISAD can go from strength to strength!

Download your ISAD guide now!

Scoliosis is a relatively unknown condition and many people have never even heard of it.  The International Scoliosis Awareness Day is a great chance to create positive, public awareness about scoliosis, promote education, advocacy campaigns, and bring people together with the condition.  The day is an opportunity to shout about scoliosis, to help people understand what it is, and the impact that it can have on people’s lives.  We will be working very closely with the Scoliosis Research Society in the USA to bring people together from around the world to run events, feature in the press, and most importantly show off their curves while having lots of fun!

So, what are you doing on Saturday 28^th June 2014?

Think BIG: why not run an event for the awareness day?  Hold a fete, have a party, host an awareness BBQ, head to your local park and have a picnic with blue scoliosis cupcakes, set up a stall in your local shopping centre, or set yourself a challenge! The options are endless!

Get media savvy: Why not approach your local newspaper or radio station with your story to see if they will feature you? It is a great opportunity to raise awareness of the condition and to tell people about the great work done by SAUK. Download the ISAD resources (coming soon) and send them to local media outlets - don't forget to tell them your story as they might feature you too!

Help us promote the day: change your Facebook profile picture to one of the special images, update your status to tell people about the day or use our twitter hashtag #ISAD14. The more people that know about it, the more people will get involved to raise awareness and funds for scoliosis!

Don’t just focus on one day: We don’t want a day to be a barrier for people getting involved, so if you want to choose another day close to the 28th that is absolutely fine!  Why not get your work or school involved on the Friday or the Monday?  You could have a dress down, or dress in blue day, or take cakes and biscuits in to sell to your colleagues or classmates!

Fundraise a variety of ways: use Virgin Money Giving for a convenient, user-friendly, and secure way to fundraise. Or use a sponsorship form for easy fundraising from your friends and family!

More information is contained in the ISAD fundraising guide, and we'll be keeping you updated with developments so check back regularly!

Have any questions or ideas? Get in touch!

www.sauk.org.uk/get-involved/international-scoliosis-awareness-day.html