Supporters to #GoGrayinMay for Brain Tumor Awareness Month
Upcoming events aim to raise awareness about glioma, other brain cancers
Each May marks Brain Tumor Awareness Month, with annual efforts to raise awareness about glioma and other types of cancer that affect the brain.
This year, the brain tumor community is gearing up for 31 days of outreach efforts that include sharing stories, spreading the word on social media, and hosting in-person fundraising walks.
As in years past, the community is encouraged to wear gray to help raise awareness about brain cancer, and to take to social media with the hashtags #GoGrayinMay and #GrayMay.
“There are so many ways to #GoGray, connect, take action, raise awareness, and join our shared mission to conquer and cure brain tumors — once and for all,” the National Brain Tumor Society (NBTS), a U.S.-based advocacy group, notes on its website, urging supporters to “Fundraise Your Way,” “Take Action,” and “Make a Gift” with a donation to its programs.
Fundraising events also on tap for Brain Tumor Awareness Month
The NBTS this year is calling on members of the community in the U.S. to get in touch with their elected representatives in Congress to encourage them to support the Bolstering Research And Innovation Now (BRAIN) Act — bipartisan legislation that aims to accelerate research and improve care related to brain tumors. The nonprofit has created an online portal supporters can use to send emails to elected officials in support of this legislation.
Community members are also encouraged to share their stories with the NBTSÂ and to spread the word on social media. The society is providing online tools to help spread the word.
Additionally, the NBTS is hosting a range of in-person events throughout the month — and beyond — that will take place across the country. First up is Race for Hope DC, a 5K Walk/Run this Sunday, May 4, in the nation’s capitol to raise funds for people with brain tumors and their families. Events are slated through the end of the year.
Other advocacy groups are also hosting in-person events to raise awareness for the fight against brain cancers. In Santa Monica, California, the Pacific Neuroscience Institute is hosting a celebratory walk on May 28. The institute is also hosting a virtual Mock Brain Tumor Board on May 21, where participants can get a behind the scenes look at how their multidisciplinary team collaborates to deliver neurooncology care.
Among the month’s events are efforts to raise funds for the fight against brain cancer. Both the NBTS in the U.S. and The Brain Tumour Charity in the U.K. have fundraising efforts ongoing, as do other organizations, including the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation and the Glioblastoma Research Organization.
There are more than 120 different types of brain tumors. Gliomas, which arise from a type of support cell in the brain called glia, account for roughly half of all brain tumors. Although tens of thousands of people in the U.S. alone will be diagnosed with brain tumors this year, outcomes remain poor.
Awareness month is “a time dedicated to supporting, empowering, and amplifying the voice of the brain tumor community,” the NBTS website states.
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