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Paint your pumpkins purple to raise awareness about epilepsy

'People are often afraid of what they don’t know, and we’re here to help bridge that gap,' says Epilepsy Simcoe County official
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NEWS RELEASE
EPILEPSY SIMCOE COUNTY
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Epilepsy Simcoe County is pleased to announce their second annual Purple Pumpkin Project in support of continuing the conversation about epilepsy awareness.

Epilepsy Simcoe County’s Executive Director Shawna Bailey says that there is often a stigma around seizures, epilepsy, and what it means for the individual. 

“We brought this project to Simcoe County to open up the needed conversations about epilepsy. People are often afraid of what they don’t know, and we’re here to help bridge that gap.”

The first Purple Pumpkin Project was created in 2012 in the United States by Ron Lamontagne. While driving past a local pumpkin patch with his family one September, Ron realized that painting pumpkins purple would help create awareness of epilepsy when people were asked, “why is your pumpkin purple?”

Epilepsy Simcoe County is encouraging families throughout Simcoe County to paint and decorate a purple pumpkin this year in support of epilepsy awareness. Families can also find posters and a colouring page on their website here.

The Project will run throughout the entire month of October, and businesses, daycares, and schools can also be involved through various ways, including shopping online, donating, fundraising, and more. All information, as well as ways to get involved, can be found on Epilepsy Simcoe County’s website.

Epilepsy Simcoe County (ESC) was established in 1978 as a volunteer organization to assist the people of Simcoe County with education, support, awareness and advocacy.

They are located in downtown Barrie and serve their member base in the Greater Simcoe County area. ESC provides people living with epilepsy education, understanding and support to get help they may need in a caring and understanding environment.

Epilepsy is a common disorder with over 300,000 Canadians affected and over 50 million people world wide. It is estimated 1 in 100 people in Simcoe County live with this disorder.

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