The ME/CFS Society of NSW Inc.

This year, Awareness Week is Monday 12 May – Sun 18 May, with Awareness day falling on the 12 May. Each year we work hard to spread awareness of this dreadful illness in the hope of garnering better understanding from friends, family, colleagues and the community-at-large, as well as appropriate treatment plans and an increase in research into ME/CFS and related conditions. It would be great if you could all wear a blue awareness ribbon during the week to catch people’s attention.

Unfortunately, due to the office move and a changeover of staff, the Doctors’ Seminar, planned to coincide with Awareness Week has had to be postponed. The seminar, presented by Dr Schloeffel, will take place in August. More details will be printed in the Winter edition of Emerge. If you would like your doctor to be invited please contact the Society with their details.

If you would like to run an information stall please contact the Society and let us know you are interested so we can help you to get organised by sending you out all the information, pamphlets and merchandise that you will need. Remember that for legal reasons all volunteers at the stall must have a Society name tag, so please call the office to organise this in advance (at no cost). If you would just like to put some pamphlets/posters up in your local area to raise awareness contact us.

We would like to get the attention of the media this year so we’re preparing a media release to send out. If you know anyone who works with newspapers, television, radio or magazines please contact us with their details or we can give you a copy of the press release to pass on to them. Alternately you could contact your local paper and offer your personal story.

If you don’t want to contact your local paper, there still more ways to fundraise much needed funds for the Society. You could put a jar in your home to collect spare change to donate. Perhaps you could ask friends to sponsor you for the hours you spend in bed. On the other hand, you could host a fundraising meal (perhaps morning tea or lunch) or party with your friends or family, selling merchandise or collecting an entry fee from guests. The party could be a movie night, theatre trip or “murder mystery” party. For legal reasons, members are asked not to solicit donations in public from strangers, unless part of an Awareness Week stall, however within the privacy of your home all fundraising activities are fine.

We are selling the new 2008/2009 entertainment books. Each book contains vouchers for 25% to 50% off or 2-for-1 offers at restaurants, hotel accommodation, attractions, sports and leisure activities etc to the value of $15 000. The book costs $65, $13 of which contributes to our fundraising. You can purchase the book from our website. Don’t forget to tell your family and friends about it.

We have some great new merchandise this year so be prepared and stock up on Birthday and Christmas presents early. We also have had some beautiful gift cards designed for us to help with our fundraising, based on the butterfly (our symbol of breaking free). They are blank on the inside, so are perfect for any occasion.