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Help to Spread the Word About Gluten Intolerance

Each year GIG and 35 other lay and professional organizations, representing
many disease categories of the National Institute of Arthritis and
Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) travel to Washington DC. For over a
decade Coalition member groups have carried specially prepared fact sheets
and background information to Capitol Hill. Teams advocate for increased
funding for skin disease research and also have the opportunity to spread
awareness about their specific organization and cause.

Last year, GIG was also invited to send a representative to testify before
the congressional sub-committee. Arlene Van de Wetering, San Diego did a
suburb job and even impressed members of the Digestive Coalition of which GIG
is a member. NIAMS Day is our first opportunity to give Congress a unified
message about skin disease research and dermatitis herpetiformis (DH). Of
course when we speak about DH, celiac disease (CD) is a part of the
conversation. The more representatives we have the more times our message
gets heard.

Would you like to become a part of the movement to educate Congress about DH
and CD? NIAMS Day is March 27, 2001. If you are interested in being part of
this year's activities, please contact GIG at [log in to unmask] We attend this
event as part of a larger well-organized and orchestrated group. GIG is part
of the Coalition of Patient Advocacy for Skin Disease Research (CPASDR), is a
relatively young group, but is powerful and well respected by the American
Academy of Dermatology.  We must coordinate our participation through CPASDR.
If you would like to attend this exciting event or volunteer with it in other
ways, contact us now.

GIG will also be in Washington DC, March 2-5 for the American Academy of
Dermatology Meetings, as well as the Dermatology Nurses Meetings. We welcome
people who would like to help provide manpower in our booth. It's a great
opportunity to see a large professional meeting, while giving the doctors
material about DH, CD and the GF diet. Please contact Cynthia at
[log in to unmask] if you are interested in helping during this conference.

Nancy
Seattle, WA
USA