Awareness Month

[2Boys4Me]

Mid-way through Celiac Awareness month and I haven't heard a peep about Celiac either in the paper or on tv/radio. CBS has all the Breast Cancer awareness month stuff happening from time to time, little 15 second psa's, but I guess it's a "sexier" disease.

I pitched an awareness story to the medical reporter (and all the assignment editors) in the newsroom where I work, and even THEY haven't done a story. I work evenings though, and the story meetings are during the day, so I guess I need to be a bit more "in their faces" about it.

I was sort of hoping there would be a mass letter-writing campaign or something to try to get Kellogg's on board with gluten-free, but I guess not. All my local Celiac association is doing is having a gluten-free pizza and ice cream day.

I guess I'll bug the medical reporter when I go to work tomorrow afternoon.

[jenvan]

i was thinking of the breast cancer campaign recently. it is everywhere! if we could get a similar campaign going.... you can buy designer jeans, post-its, jewelery, cds, food--all that is pink and splits proceeds with bc research.

[jerseyangel]

That would be great if we could get a campign going to bring attention to celiac disease. Ideas anyone?

[redheadheather]

I recently emailed all our local TV stations and radio stations. So far... nothing. Most of the coverage is BCA. I'm hoping at least one of them will do a little something next week or so.

[crosses fingers]

[celiac3270]

It seems like every month is celiac awareness month--first I hear June, then it's September, now it's October--I can't keep it straight anymore

[Guest Viola]

Global TV in Vancouver Canada has had a couple of very good TV ads for Celiac awareness month. But we are on satillite TV and that's the only one that I've heard.

[2Boys4Me]

Viola, I think in Winlaw you can get CTV Calgary, that's where I work. (Look for my name on the credits Friday!) I didn't see the medical reporter today, but will definitely ask if there's anything in the works for the next couple of weeks.

[floridanative]

I sell promotional products and have many times sold custom lapel pins for clients. Maybe we need a pin for celiac disease. Could be a gluten-free or NG (no gluten) in a neat design - I think celiac disease would make people think of regular celiac disease's plus many people who are gluten free don't have celiac disease dx. For NG we could have the no symbol (like smoking symbol) and a big G inside. Other ideas? It needs to be something that will prompt people to ask us what the pin means.

Tiffamy M.

[Guest Viola]

There already is a lapel pin for Celiac. I have had one for years, got it through the Canadian Celiac Association. It's very attractive.

[Guest Viola]

Linda, I do get CTV Calgary and watch it quite frequently, including the news as we have a daughter that lives there. Which program will you be on?

[floridanative]

There already is a lapel pin for Celiac. I have had one for years, got it through the Canadian Celiac Association. It's very attractive.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thanks Shirley! Do you mind posting their website? I'm not familair with it.

Tiffany M.

p.s. never mind. I found the site and they don't have the pin listed in the products for sale. It must not have sold well.

[Guest Viola]

Hmmm ... I bought mine about 15 years ago. It seems to me that several years later there was a problem with the logo they used. It's a gold wheat shaft in a circle with a line through it. There might have been a copy rite problem on it.

Which means ... someone should design and produce a new one

[2Boys4Me]

Linda, I do get CTV Calgary and watch it quite frequently, including the news as we have a daughter that lives there. Which program will you be on?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

OH NO, Viola!! I am not ON tv, I am strictly behind the scenes getting everyone else on. I direct the late news 4 nights a week (Th-Sun). I am bossy by nature,so the job suits me just fine, I tell someone to do something, and he has to do it, because that's his job...to listen to me! For the six o'clock news, I am a production assistant, counting out of stories, calling supers in, etc.

If I do my job properly tonight, the credits will hit about 6:56 or thereabouts. (Of course, the anchors have to co-operate, too much chatter and we might have to drop credits.)

"See you" at 6.

[Guest Viola]

Okay, will look for you .. that's five my time Look for your name that is ... Hmm, does it come under bossy ? Just kidding.

[floridanative]

Hmmm ... I bought mine about 15 years ago. It seems to me that several years later there was a problem with the logo they used. It's a gold wheat shaft in a circle with a line through it. There might have been a copy rite problem on it.

Which means ... someone should design and produce a new one 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I agree! I could see there being a problem with the wheat symbol - has law suit written all over it. I'll have to think about the design. At first I thought the no symbol over a G was great but I don't want people to think I'm an athiest.

Tiffany M.

[Guest Viola]

Yes, and we can have rice, corn, millet etc. and that really is included under the Grain label.

[2Boys4Me]

Okay, will look for you .. that's five my time

[Guest Viola]

Hi Linda .. I watched the credits roll yesterday, and there you were, big as life Good for you ... How is it you are the only female? Do you get to boss all the males around?

[tiredofdoctors]

I really like this idea! I like the emphasis on Gluten-Free awareness -- I am VERY sympathetic to celiacs, but I am only gluten intolerant -- I have gluten ataxia. (Did I just say ONLY gluten intolerant?????) At any rate, I think that it's important to have Celiac awareness month, because it is a much larger problem than most people think (or don't think is the actual problem). We need to get the word out. Can you guys direct me to a website where I can get some statistical information? My next door neighbor and friend is a reporter for the local news here -- now that Breast Cancer has had its race for the cure walk/run, they're dry for health news right now. If I can present statistics (fairly soon), there's a good chance they'll run it.

I can't get back to the former messages without losing what I've written so far (I'm hating my computer right now), but whoever does the promotional items, you're bound to be creative! I think you should take the ball & run with it. Depending upon cost (& our resources -- sick people are poor!) I'll buy as many as I can and pass them on to local health food stores, etc. In fact, I'm wondering if chains, such as Whole Foods Market and Wild Oats would start carrying them -- it certainly would help to promote the fact that they have gluten-free products if they were at the cash registers. Non-celiacs would pass the info onto their celiac friends -- and maybe even start to become a little more informed. AAAAAAHHHHHHH! (that's the chorus singing the angelic sound) For that matter, even Kroger co. Our Kroger has a LOT of gluten-free products in their health foods section. I think this is a really good idea.

Talk to you guys soon . . . . Lynne

[CeliacMe]

I heard that Victoria Beckaham ("Posh Speice") has celiac disease, is that true? Also Emmy Rossum (from "the day after tomorrow" and "the phantom of the opera"). Maybe we could write fan mail begging them to do something to raise Celiac Awareness? I will write them if you guys do too!

[tiredofdoctors]

When you find out for sure, I'll write, too . . . Lynne

[jenvan]

Lynne-

for stats and great info, go here to the Univ of Chicago Celiac program. Look at these fact sheets...one of them has a ton of stats on it.

Open Original Shared Link

[jerseyangel]

jenvan, Thank you for that link--it was great! Also, just last night, the CBS station from Philadelphia had a piece on Celiac on the local 11:00 news!! I could hardly believe my eyes. It featured a local woman with celiac disease, a Dr. from Bryn Mawr Hospital in Phila. and shots from Whole Foods.

[jenvan]

jerseyangel-

that's great! those surprises are always nice!

[2Boys4Me]

Today I sent a letter to Kellogg's explaining that gluten free was not a small, niche market as they may think and that when one person has celiac disease, that means a whole family can no longer buy their product.

I ended it by saying that I and tens or maybe hundreds of thousands of other people were looking forward to buying a gluten-free, reasonably priced package of Kellogg's Rice Krispies and Corn Flakes soon.

Like next week, so get cracking! ...but I left that part out of the letter.