Epilepsy Ireland seek public’s support for flagship fundraiser

Epilepsy Ireland are seeking the support of the public for their annual fundraising day, Purple Day on March 25th.

Due to Covid-19 and the loss of public & traditional fundraising events, Epilepsy Ireland’s fundraised income has been significantly reduced. The organisation provides services and support for people with epilepsy and their families on how best to manage and live with the condition; invest in Irish epilepsy research; provide accredited training for healthcare workers, teachers & SNA’s on epilepsy awareness and medication administration; and work to raise public awareness & understanding about a condition which affects 40,000 people in Ireland today.

This year’s Purple Day marks the second year that Epilepsy Ireland have been forced to move what is traditionally their largest fundraising day entirely online however, the organisation believe that they have numerous ways that the public can get involved online, safely from home during the current lockdown. These include donating and turning Ireland purple on their new fundraising platform; sharing your purple look in the lead up to the day and on the day itself; and getting your 'degree' in epilepsy awareness.

Epilepsy Ireland Fundraising Manager, Stephen Lowy explained the different aspects to this year’s online campaign.

“We have launched an interactive map where you can literally help us turn Ireland Purple for Purple Day. The map allows you to drop a pin highlighting where in Ireland you are donating from, and as donations accumulate on the day the Emerald Isle will hopefully be turned totally purple! Every donation is vital to our work across the Republic – particularly during these challenging times. We are hoping our map will stir up the competitive natures that exist along county lines and we’re hoping that people will be dropping pins across Ireland in support of our work!”

“We also want people to share their purple look for Purple Day. We have now all been living at home for over a year now and let’s face it - we haven’t had much reason to get all dressed up. We are giving you a reason – so long as it involves purple! Use purple make-up, face paint and clothes to create the perfect purple look to help us raise awareness of epilepsy for Purple Day. Share a pic and tag us on social media and please consider asking your friends and followers to get involved and donating to our work. This is a fun activity that is open to all ages and genders and is a way to pass the time in the lead up to the day and on the day itself. Your Purple Look could be vital in helping us raise awareness and funds on the day.”

“Finally, we have our ‘degree!’ While Purple Day is a major fundraising day for us, it is also a major epilepsy awareness day as well. Our ‘degree’ was something we launched last year last minute when we had to cancel all public events associated with Purple Day due to onset of COVID-19. It has proven to be extremely popular as a one-stop shop for quick need to knows about epilepsy. While the name ‘degree’ is certainly tongue-in-cheek and presented in a colloquial fashion – it contains vital information that you may need at some point in your life if responding to a seizure. Research we conducted earlier this year found that 50% of the public have witnessed a seizure at some point in their lives while 87% completely underestimated the prevalence of epilepsy in Ireland. The condition affects 40,000 people in the country and you never know when you might have to respond to a seizure so please take 10 minutes in advance of Purple Day to get your ‘degree!”

Epilepsy Ireland are appealing to communities across Ireland for their support on March 25th. Visit www.epilepsy.ie to learn more about Purple Day and how you can help.