Proclaim Fibromyalgia Awareness Day

Through the National Fibromyalgia Association’s Legislative Proclamation Program, members of the FM community request that government officials declare May 12 Fibromyalgia Awareness Day in their jurisdiction. Since its inception in 2004, the NFA’s Legislative Proclamation Program has succeeded in bringing awareness to fibromyalgia at all levels of government, from mayors and governors to the president of the United States.

Your first step is to identify which government official(s) to approach. For state officials, visit your state’s website; under “Legislators” enter your zip code to find your local representatives. For federal officials, click here.

Once you have determined the official(s) you would like to approach, contact their offices to find out to whom you should address the request letter and proclamation language. Along with your request, include a Fibromyalgia Fact Sheet and a NFA Fact Sheet. Be sure to include your contact information.

After you have sent the letter of request, wait three to five days and then call the contact person. Ask if the materials have been received and if there are any questions. Following up is important as you may need to re-send or fax the documents.

Once the official/representative has agreed to do a Fibromyalgia Awareness Day proclamation, you'll need to determine the best place to receive the proclamation. It can be done in a public forum, such as a city council meeting or a support group meeting. Decide who will do the formal presentation; it could be the legislator, someone affected by fibromyalgia, a support group leader, a doctor—anyone you feel best represents your local fibromyalgia community. Make sure to have the event at a place where many fibromyalgia patients and their families can be present.

Once you decide on the presentation time and place, contact your local newspaper and television and radio stations. Contact several media sources and encourage the reporters to do a story on Fibromyalgia Awareness Day, the proclamation presentation, and/or your local support group.

Send your legislator and any media contacts a handwritten thank-you note following the event.

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This article was originally published in FMOnline vol. 10, no. 4. To view the other articles in this issue, click on the links below.

In the Spotlight
 Banding Together for Awareness
Proclaim Fibromyalgia Awareness Day
Create Your Own Walk of Fame
Host an Awareness Day Informational Event

In the News
Get Moving
 Problems for Problem Children

NFA News
Awareness Day 2010
Make Fibromyalgia Visible
 Awareness Day the NFA Way
Facebook Fans on the Rise