(List courtesy of May12th.org)

May 12th has been designated as International Awareness Day for Chronic Immunological and Neurological Diseases (CIND) since 1992. The diseases included in CIND include Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), Fibromyalgia (FM), Gulf War Syndrome(GWS) and Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS).

This document will be used to record events planned for 2015. If you have an event to add, please either email [email protected] or post the details of your event on https://www.facebook.com/events/1687966454755997/ . For more information about May 12th International Awareness Day please see www.may12th.org or www.facebook.com/may12th.awareness. There is also a list being maintained HERE.

Note: This list can be accessed at www.bit.ly/May12th2015 . 

Worldwide

• a request will be submitted to Google asking for a Google Doodle for May 12th. A Doodle is the artwork you see on the Google search page. You can show your support for it by LIKEing Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/GoogleDoodle4May12th or by sending your own request to [email protected]. We need support from around the world.  Sadly they did not give us a Doodle in past years but we will maintain the page and try again every year until they do.
• Join all 3 Thnuderclaps that are set up to go off on May 12th

○       https://www.thunderclap.it/projects/23688-may-12th-int-l-awareness-day

○       https://www.thunderclap.it/projects/24471-12-mai-internat-me-cfs-tag

○       https://www.thunderclap.it/projects/24360-

• Light Up the Night Challenge - see event  https://www.facebook.com/events/398647540275528/  . We are asking you to light up public buildings and your own residence with one of the three colours: blue (ME, CFS), purple (FM) and green (MCS or Lyme). If you light your own house, send a picture to [email protected] by May 31st to be counted in the contest. Let us know if you can take a picture of any of these Landmarks: Brighton Wheel (UK), SeaLife Centre (UK), CN Tower (Canada), Toronto, Halifax, Ottawa, Brampton, Charlottetown and Mississauga City Hall (Canada), Montreal Olympic Stadium (Canada), Niagara Falls (Canada), BC Place Stadium (Canada),  Black Tower (UK), Langevan Bridge (Canada), Peace Bridge (Canada-US border), City of Perth Council House(Australia), The Market House, Mullingar (IE), Bangor Town Hall (NI). See Canada for the webcams for viewing Niagara Falls.
• Proclaim your city or  town by writing your Mayor. For a sample letter see http://bit.ly/May12thProclamation 
• The website www.may12th.org is getting a facelift this year. Check it out after May 12th.
• If you need images for May 12th, Wendy Boutilier has provided these https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10152354837994513.1073741894.362435824512&type=3 . You can find more images here https://meaware.wordpress.com/badges/ .
• The #May12BlogBomb is back!  See http://sallyjustme.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/calling-all-bloggers.html.
• Tune in to Aunty Acid on May 12th at https://www.facebook.com/auntyacid. Arranged by Fibro Flare.
• The UK is arranging an international Walk for ME. See event https://www.facebook.com/events/1529930570598706/ . 
• Decorate your garden or  tie ribbons around trees or mailboxes in one or all of the 3 colours and send a picture to [email protected].
• Dress in one or all of the 3 colours and tell people. Perhaps dye your hair. You can also by t-shirts etc on zazzle or cafepress. Also capture the moment and send it to [email protected]. Here’s one site selling things http://teespring.com/stores/myfibroawarenessmay12 . Let us know if you have a link to list here.
• Make your own event and let us know about it. If you have ideas for events but aren't well enough to organize it, just send us the idea. We're making a list of ideas for next year and will include yours. It may inspire someone else.
• Write your elected representatives. Canada has a draft letter you can use and amend to suit your country. See www.bit.ly/May12th2015EmailCanada. If you write one, send it to us so we can create instructions and a draft for your country that others can use. See the UK items for a draft letter from the 25% group.
• In Canada and Ireland, 2 people have written to their local newspaper and asked for a story on May 12th. Let us know if you can get your local news to report on it.
• ME AGAIN 2015 Artist Online Show (www.meagain.org) will showcase winners of their submission May 12th and will include a media campaign to promote May 12th Awareness, the illnesses and the artists
• The Graticast is making a video for May 12th and needs your submissions. See https://www.facebook.com/notes/may-12th-international-mecfs-fm-awareness-day/help-create-a-may-12th-video/10153384771427240
• Get your own personalized bear image to help raise awareness for ME.  Michelle will make a bear for anyone for a small donation to her daughters justgiving page. any donation will get a bear.  https://www.justgiving.com/michelle-nunn1/?utm_id=11&fb_action_ids=10153255330903766&fb_action_types=jgdonation%3Asupport&fb_ref=pfp-share-facebook-test-C-control . To see the image go to https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=858866717540758&set=gm.1695637713988871&type=1&theater
• Tweeting worldwide is planned. Please use hashtag #may12th when tweeting.
• Dr Eleanor Stein is hosting a webcast on May 19th with speakers Rory Hornstein, RD, BEd, and Lucinda Bateman, MD. For full details see http://www.eleanorsteinmd.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/May-19th-detailed-information.pdf 

Australia

• City of Perth Council House will light up on May 12th.
• Do Something for ME - see http://emerge.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Brochure-DSFME.pdf

Canada

• Niagara Falls will light up blue on May 12th at 10pm  It can be watched on either of these 2 webcams http://www.earthcam.com/canada/niagarafalls/ or http://www.niagarafallslive.com/niagara_falls_webcam_info.htm
• City Hall in Mississauga, Ontario will be lit up May 12th with blue, purple and green
• City Hall in Brampton, Ontario will be lit up purple  May 12th
• City Hall in Ottawa, Ontario will be lit up blue May 12th
• City Hall in Halifax, Nova Scotia will be lit with all three colours
• City Hall in Toronto, Ontario will be lit up May 12th with blue and purple
• City Hall in Charlottetown, PEI will be lit up with all 3 colours May 12th
• Calgary Alberta - Langevan Bridge will lit up blue on May 12th
• Montreal Olympic Stadium in Quebec will be lit with all colours
• Toronto, Ontario’s CN Tower will be lit with all 3 colours
• Toronto, Ontario - an event is being planned for Queen’s Park on May 12th. Contact MEAO at [email protected] for more details.
• National ME/FM Action Network will hold an event May 16th in Toronto, Ontario with Dr Alison Bested speaking. See flyer for details https://www.facebook.com/notes/national-mefm-action-network/join-us-in-toronto-may-16-2015-guest-speaker-dr-alison-bested/945382165484956
• Vancouver Canada - BC Place STadium , Canada Place - Sails of Light, Convention Centre West, Jack Poole Plaza and Science World will be lit with all 3 colours May 12th
• May 12th has been proclaimed in the following cities: Ottawa, Mississauga, Brampton, Ramara in Ontario,  Victoria, Nanaimo and Kelowna in British Columbia, Vancouver BC has been proclaimed in perpetuity
• London, Ontario - London's first Fibromyalgia Awareness & Information Day to be held on Saturday, May 9th from 1:30-4:30pm at Beacock Library, 1280 Huron Street.Details in the event poster on the May 12th event page.  ADVANCE REGISTRATION REQUIRED. Email [email protected] to book your seat TODAY!
• Write a letter to you MP and MPP. See www.bit.ly/May12th2015EmailCanada
• Opera Mariposa (http://operamariposa.com/)  is presenting TOUR DE FORCE: An Evening of Broadway Showstoppers on Saturday, May 16 @ 7:30 pm at Marpole United Church 1296 West 67th Ave. Vancouver, BC in support of the National ME/FM Action Network.
•  MEFM Society of BC is holding an event May 24th, 1-5pm at Vancouver General Hospital. Speakers are Dr Daniel Peterson and Staci Stevens. See  https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=857991267628303&set=gm.1694210557464920&type=1&theater
• The Peace Bridge will be lit with all 3 colours on May 12th.
• Sudbury Ontario is holding a Mother’s Day tea on May 9th. See https://www.facebook.com/events/353928461473623/
• Dr Eleanor Stein is hosting a webcast on May 19th with speakers Rory Hornstein, RD, BEd, and Lucinda Bateman, MD. For full details see http://www.eleanorsteinmd.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/May-19th-detailed-information.pdf 

Italy

• AISF ONLUS ( the Italian Association For Fibro and CFS)  is holding an event on May 10th in Verona. See http://www.sindromefibromialgica.it/  and http://www.sindromefibromialgica.it/wp-content/immagini/GIORNATA-MONDIALE-.pdf and http://www.sindromefibromialgica.it/wp-content/immagini/nuovo-opuscolo-sindrome-fibromiagica-web.pdf

Japan

• Dr. Kuratsune, a Japanese leading expert on Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), introduced CFS Awareness Day on this video  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKy8WAldsY0&feature=youtu.be 

Northern Ireland

• The Newry Reporter newspaper is doing a story on ME and will mention global May12th awareness.
• Bangor Town Hall will be lit May 12th
• Fibromyalgia Awareness Bangor/Ards & North Down Support Group have arrange for a garden display. See https://www.facebook.com/may12th.awareness/photos/pcb.10152689146277161/10152689141322161/?type=1&theater

Netherlands

• ME Vereniging Nederland will hold their yearly ME Information Day in Breda this year. See  https://www.facebook.com/events/1603084453256260/. On May 12 they will publish all tweets using #‎12MEi.  

Republic of Ireland

• The Irish ME/CFS Association is pleased to announce the following two talks as part of its ME Awareness Month activities in May by Dr. Abhijit Chaudhuri from the UK. See https://www.facebook.com/events/1552467578375374/
• The Market House, Mullinger will be lit from 9pm with all 3 colours. All welcome.
• An event will be held at Bewley’s Hotel Newlands Cross - see https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10204974181888890&set=p.10204974181888890&type=1&theater
• Fibromyalgia Awareness and Advocacy Forum Ireland are selling ribbons and they produced a booklet on Fibromyalgia to raise awareness. See event https://www.facebook.com/events/1401743296791665/1441563366142991/
• FMANI Charity Organisation is holding an FM Awareness Day May 9th at the Civic Centre Drumceatt Square, Limavady. See https://www.facebook.com/may12th.awareness/photos/a.404124462160.176713.220534562160/10152689367237161/?type=1&theater . See event https://www.facebook.com/events/1595967060687358/
• The Lord Mayor of Dublin will light up the Mansion House in Dublin with blue.

South Africa

• A member of  www.fibromyalgiasa.co.za  will appear on radio and its hoped a newspaper article will be written.

Sweden

• Sweden has produced a Facebook cover photo and profile photo you can use on May 12th. See https://www.facebook.com/may12th.awareness/photos/pcb.10152680806022161/10152680801357161/?type=1&theater and https://www.facebook.com/may12th.awareness/photos/pcb.10152680806022161/10152680801412161/?type=1&theater
• a “wear something blue” day is planned. See https://www.facebook.com/events/835183533220472/

United Kingdom (UK)

• Cooking up a blue storm to raise awareness and funds for Invest in ME Research Charity for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) see https://www.facebook.com/CordonBleuForME
• Invest in ME’s 10th International ME Conference 2015 will take place on 29th May 2015 in Westminster, London. See https://www.facebook.com/events/1025707540777368/
• To be confirmed - Wainhouse Tower, Halifax, West Yorkshire, UK will lit up May 12th
• Brighton Wheel on Tuesday May 12th will be lit up. Meeting at 8.00 in front of the Wheel with posters and banners and anything you can think of for Awareness for 8.30 Light Up. There will be a photographer from the Argus taking photos at 8.30
• The Sea Life Centre in Brighton UK will be lit up during the day May 12th.
• Fibroduck Foundation has arranged for the Blackpool tower  to be lit up May 12th. It  will be lit up PURPLE, and the Heart BLUE, with FIBRODUCK text running through the heart.We'll also be inviting the press along and giving out information flyers to passers by. We'll also be filming the event so you will all get to see. See http://www.fibroduckfoundation.com/blackpool_tower_may_12th.html .
• Tymes Trust are holding an event May 11th at Ingatestone Hall. See http://www.tymestrust.org/txt/alert201502invitation.txt 
• The 25% Group has provided a draft letter to be sent to MP's. See Awareness 2015 on http://www.25megroup.org/campaigning_awareness.html#aware2015

United States (US)

• New York City - The Caterpillar Walk program is a fundraising campaign designed to raise awareness and support for Fibromyalgia and Chronic Pain. See www.fmcpaware.org/CaterpillarWalkNYC
• The National Fibromyalgia and and Chronic Pain Association has a list of events in the US on their website http://www.fmcpaware.org/a-day-events-2015.html
• Washington DC - MEadvocacy.org had a demonstration on April 28.
• Haines City, Florida and Anaheim, CA has proclaimed the day.
• #OccupyTheUSDOJ #June2015 is being held in Washington DC on June 1st.   See https://www.facebook.com/events/804422736243381/
• The Peace Bridge will be lit with all 3 colours on May 12th. 
• Springfield, OH has proclaimed the day.