<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

Last week we learned of New Hampshire's Governor and the proclamation celebrating May as Awareness Month.   Days before, an announcement came out saying that awareness month should be April.  The celiac community has put an enormous amount of work into joining forces to support May as celiac awareness month.  I was shocked to see a national organization, which is on record supporting May, all of a sudden decide to go it alone.  WHY!  There are many reasons to support May as Celiac Awareness month - the most important being that the rest of the world also celebrates May as celiac awareness month.   Even Canada is changing to May this year.  Now we have one group saying April, another October, then the rest of the U.S. celebrating Awareness Month in May.  It is no wonder this community can't make things happen and the government won't take us seriously.  The NIH encouraged the celiac community to work as a united group.  There is a saying "United We Stand - Divided We Fall."  Our community needs TEAM PLAYERS.  There is too much we need to get done.  National organizations must work with the celiac community.  Going it alone sends a strong signal that 'community' isn't the priority.  The overwhelming majority of celiac organizations, all of the Celiac Research Centers, along with major medical organizations, in the United States recognize May as National Celiac Disease Awareness Month.  The May observance in the United States was chosen mainly to coincide with recognition of the many other medical conditions related to celiac disease that are observed in May.  Celiac disease is still relatively unknown and being able to draw connections between these medical conditions and celiac disease helps to elevate its importance and enhance awareness.  Some of the other May health observances include:



Digestive Diseases Awareness Month

Digestive Diseases Week

Food Allergy Awareness Month

Food Allergy Week

National Arthritis Month

National Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month



Internationally, the Association of European Coeliac Societies recognizes Celiac Disease in May and celiac events are held throughout the world to raise awareness.  (The association represents 26 countries of the EU, some are: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and UK). The Canadian Celiac Association moved its celebration to May just this year. Celebrating in conjunction with other nations is important since celiac disease is the most common genetic disorder in the world!  Some of the organizations, research centers, and companies supporting the May observance include:



American Celiac Disease Alliance

American College of Gastroenterology

American Dietetic Association

American Gastroenterology Association

Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University

Celiac Disease Foundation

Gluten Intolerance Group

University of Chicago Celiac Disease Program

University of Maryland Center for Celiac Research

Wm. K. Warren Celiac Disease Research Center UC San Diego

123 Glutenfree

Alba Therapeutics Corporation

Alvine Pharmaceuticals

Amazing Grains LLC

Arico Foods

Authentic Foods

Bakery on Main

Bard's Beer

Bob & Ruth's Gluten-Free Dining & Travel Club

Breads from Anna

Case Nutritional Consulting

Cecelia's Marketplace

Ener-G Foods, Inc.

Enjoy Life Brands(tm)

Foods by George

French Meadow Bakery

Gifts of Nature

Glutenfreeda Foods

Gluten Free Kneads

Gluten-Free Living

GlutenFree Oats

GlutenFree Passport(r)

Glutino Foods

Green's Beer

Kinnickinnick Foods

Kimball Genetics

La Tortilla Company

Living Without

Namaste Foods

Nana's Cookie Company

North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (NASPGHAN)

Pamela's Products

Prometheus Laboratories, Inc.

San-J International, Inc.

Savory Palate

Stonyfield Farm

Sylvan Border Farms

Tastes Like Real Food

Tricia Thompson, MS, RD



May is the time for us to stand together, to get the recognition for Celiac Disease.  There are many folks to help us, IF we work together.  Let's see which organizations are really working for US.   Betty Barfield


________________________________
NOTICE: This email and any attachments are for the exclusive and confidential use of the intended recipient(s). If you are not an intended recipient, please do not read, distribute, or take action in reliance upon this message. If you have received this in error, please notify me immediately by return email and promptly delete this message and its attachments from your computer system.

Visit the Celiac Web Page at Http://www.enabling.org/ia/celiac/index.html
Archives are at: Http://Listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.EXE?LIST=CELIAC