Awareness Month

Held Across Canada Each May

Hemochromatosis Awareness Month is held the month of May of each year.

During Awareness Month, the Society print packages and electronic information for distribution to a country-wide network of regional contacts / volunteers.

Awareness Month volunteers concentrate their efforts during this month by setting up information booths in malls, hospitals, pharmacies and blood donor clinics.

We also schedule interviews with local radio, television and newspapers to drive people to the CHS web site or to contact the CHS office, where they can access hemochromatosis information packages.

2009 Events

Below is a list of upcoming events surrounding Hemochromatosis Awareness Month. Please contact us if you have an idea for raising awareness about hemochromatosis, or you would like to volunteer during Awareness Month.

Canada-Wide

CHS Public Service Announcements will once again be heard on radios across the country, informing all listeners of the dangers of untreated and undiagnosed hemochromatosis.

BC

Thursday, May 14, 2009 - Zenith Conference Volunteerism Fair, Surrey

For the second year in a row, our student volunteers will be hosting a booth to showcase our volunteer programs among youths aged 15 – 25. The fair will take place between 3:00 – 5:00 pm at Kwantlen Polytechnic University 12666 – 72nd Avenue, Building C, in Surrey.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009 - Canadian Association of Gift Planners Seminar: What Estate Planning Can Offer You, Surrey

The Canadian Hemochromatosis Society will have a display booth at this free educational forum that will feature a panel of local leading estate planning professionals. Each panelist will provide useful information from their specific fields and will be available to take your questions. Chris Carter, Global Morning News Business Analyst, will emcee the forum. The seminar runs from 2:00 – 4:00 pm at the Morgan Creek Golf Club, 3500 Morgan Creek Way, Surrey. Please contact the Canadian Hemochromatosis Society by May 5 at office@toomuchiron.ca or at 604-279-7135 to book your seat.

Thursday, May 21, 2009 - Information Table, Lions Gate Hospital, North Vancouver

Former CHS Board Member Ruth Doll, along with Executive Director Bob Rogers, are once again hosting an information table from 9:00 am - 3:00 pm in the main foyer of Lions Gate Hospital, 231 East 15th Street, North Vancouver.

Saturday, May 23, 2009 - Information Booth, Richmond Centre Shopping Mall

Student volunteers are hosting an information booth at Richmond Centre from 9:30 am - 7:00 pm inside the mall near Ben Moss Jewellers. Richmond Centre is located at 6551 No. 3 Road, Richmond.

Tuesday, May 26, 2009 - Information Table, Royal Columbian Hospital, New Westminster

Ruth Doll and CHS Executive Director Bob Rogers are hosting an information table from 9:00 am - 4:00 pm in the the main foyer of Royal Columbian Hospital, 330 East Columbia Street, New Westminster.

Thursday, May 28, 2009 - Canadian Association of Gift Planners Seminar: What Estate Planning Can Offer You, Vancouver

The Canadian Hemochromatosis Society will have a display booth at this free educational forum that will feature a panel of local leading estate planning professionals. Each panelist will provide useful information from their specific fields and will be available to take your questions. Chris Carter, Global Morning News Business Analyst, will emcee the forum. The seminar runs from 2:00 – 4:00 pm at the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre Auditorium, 1100 Chestnut Street, Vancouver. Please contact the Canadian Hemochromatosis Society by May 13 at office@toomuchiron.ca or at 604-279-7135 to book your seat.

Saturday, May 30, 2009 - European Festival, Burnaby

While hereditary hemochromatosis affects people of many ethnic backgrounds, those of Northern European descent are the most commonly affected by mutations of the HFE gene. For this reason, we invite you to visit our booth at the 12th Annual European Festival, held at the Scandinavian Centre, 6540 Thomas Street, Burnaby. We will be there from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm in the MarketPlace Tent. EuroFest promises to be a day of family fun with an Opening Ceremony Parade, non-stop Stage performances, Cultural Display booths, a Children's Tent, a Food Tent and a MarketPlace Tent. For more information on the festival, visit www.eurofestbc.ca.

Saturday, June 6, 2009 - Hats Off Day - Top Barbers, North Burnaby

Top Barbers will be donating partial proceeds to the Canadian Hemochromatosis Society from all haircuts during North Burnaby's Hats Off Day. Hats Off Day is when the Burnaby Heights merchants "take their hats off" to their community and their customers and the entire Heights community celebrates together. It's a huge, one-day extravaganza featuring a colourful main-street style parade with real local flavour, and a big street party afterwards. Celebrations start at 9:00 am along Hastings Street between Boundary Road and Gamma Avenue. CHS volunteers will be on hand to host an information table at the barber shop. Top Barbers is located at 4130 Hastings St, Burnaby.

Alberta

Throughout May - Article in Community Newsletters, Calgary

Anne Stang, our volunteer Regional Coordinator in Calgary, has distributed a hemochromatosis article to several Calgary community newsletters, to be published during the month of May.

Thursday, May 21, 2009 - Scrapbooking Workshop, Spruce Grove

Donnalea Ferguson, CHS volunteer and scrapbooking consultant for Creative Memories, is hosting a free scrapbooking workshop from 6:00 pm - 11:00 pm. For a $5 donation, attendees can have their name entered for a door prize. Literature on hemochromatosis will be available at the workshop, and Donnalea will be available to answer questions on the disorder. Join Donnalea for an evening of creative fun and learn more about hemochromatosis! Call her at (780) 459-2678 to register and for directions to the workshop.

Saturday, May 30, 2009 - Senior’s Resource Fair, Calgary

Anne Stang, our volunteer Regional Coordinator in Calgary, along with volunteers Amanda Bennett and Colleen O'Brien, will have a table at the Seniors' Resource Fair at Calgary City Hall from 9:30 am – 2:30 pm. This will be the second year in a row that Anne has set up an awareness booth at this fair. Calgary City Hall is located at 800 Macleod Trail SE.

Saskatchewan

Throughout May - Letters to College of Physicians and Surgeons of Saskatchewan

Joanne Valgardsson, volunteer Regional Coordinator in Moose Jaw, will be sending out awareness letters to local doctors and to the College of Physicians and Surgeons in her province.

Ontario

Throughout May - Distribution of Brochures, Courtice

Volunteer Kerri Meadows will be distributing a hundred brochures in her area for Awareness Month.

Tuesday, May 12, 2009 - CKNX AM 920 Radio Talk Show, Wingham

Leading hemochromatosis researcher Dr. Paul Adams, Prof. of Medicine and Chief of Gastroenterology at the London Health Sciences Centre, University of Western Ontario, and Canadian Hemochromatosis Society Executive Director Bob Rogers will be speaking on CKNX's "Talk Show with Bryan Allen" from 11:00 am - 12:00 pm Eastern (8:00 am - 9:00 am Pacific, 9:00 am - 10:00 am Mountain, 10:00 am - 11:00 am Central, 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm Atlantic, and 12:30 pm - 1:30 pm Newfoundland). Listen to the show from anywhere in the world at www.am920.ca (click on the "Listen Live" button). In the Wingham Ontario area, you can listen on the radio at AM 920. To participate in the Talk Show, call 1-800-668-2569 or (519) 357-1280.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009 - CHML AM 900 Radio Health Matters Talk Show, Hamilton

Canadian Hemochromatosis Society Executive Director Bob Rogers will be speaking on CHML's "Health Matters with Jamie West" at 12:35 pm Eastern (9:35 am Pacific, 10:35 am Mountain, 11:35 am Central, 1:35 pm Atlantic, and 2:05 pm Newfoundland). Listen to the show wherever you are at www.900chml.com (click on the Listen Live button at the top right hand corner of the screen). In the Hamilton area, you can listen on the radio at AM 900.

Saturday, May 30, 2009 - Awareness and Information Booth, Orleans

Capitilizing on the great response and energy from 2008, our volunteer Regional Coordinator Marjorie Lounder and fellow volunteers will once again be hosting an information booth from 9:30 am – 9:00 pm at Place D'Orleans Shopping Mall, 110 Place D'Orleans Drive, Orleans.

Nova Scotia

Tuesday, May 19, 2009 - Hemochromatosis Information Session, Halifax

IWK Health Centre in Halifax is once again hosting their information session on hereditary hemochromatosis. Session leaders include Pat Steele, Dr. Kevork Peltekian and Dr. Sue Robinson. Pat Steele is a genetics counsellor with the Maritime Medical Genetics Service (MMGS). Dr. Kevork Peltekian is a hepatologist in the department of Hepatology at the Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre and Dalhousie University. Dr. Sue Robinson is a hematologist in the department of Medicine, division of Hematology, Dalhousie University. Presentations by the three session leaders will be made, and a question and answer period will follow. The session is being held in the Parker Reception Room at IWK between 7:00 pm and 9:00 pm. Those in the Maritimes who have questions about the session or who would like to attend can contact Tamara MacDougall at IWK by phone at (902) 470-3807.

The Maritime Medical Genetics Service is the only clinical genetics service for New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia. Referrals to MMGS (not the information session) must be made by your physician where appropriate.