By Deron Hamel
Epilepsy York Region recently received $35,000 from the proceeds of an annual festival in Richmond Hill that will largely be put towards raising epilepsy awareness through education and providing supports to families of children living with the condition.
The agency was selected by Richmond Hill’s events committee earlier this year to be the beneficiary of proceeds raised from Taste of the Hill, a yearly event celebrating the town’s multiculturalism through food, culture and fashion.
Each year the festival selects one charity to support with its proceeds. Charities across York Region apply to have their agency named the beneficiary of the proceeds. Applicants must also help provide sponsors and vendors for the event.
The event was held Sept. 25, and Epilepsy York Region recently received their cheque from Taste of the Hill.
In its submission, the agency focused on how it would use the funding to enhance quality of life for people with epilepsy in York Region – especially children living with the condition.
Epilepsy York Region executive director Claudia Cozza says the committee was particularly taken by the agency’s focus on education, raising awareness of epilepsy in the community and how funding would be beneficial to children living with the condition.
“They didn’t realize a lot of the things people with epilepsy live with, the fact that a lot of anti-epileptic drugs are not covered by OHIP (Ontario Health Insurance Plan), the fact that many children with epilepsy are having seizures at schools and their teachers and their classmates don’t know how to react or how to keep them safe,” Cozza tells Voices of Epilepsy.
Epilepsy York Region will direct the lion’s share of the proceeds at enhancing quality of life through education opportunities, support programs and helping families financially if they need assistance paying for anti-epileptic medication.
Cozza says this type of funding is important for an agency like Epilepsy York Region, noting that the awareness initiatives the agency will provide will help people in York Region better understand epilepsy and the challenges people living with the condition face.
“There is a huge stigma attached to this condition, so it’s important for us to help people understand what epilepsy is all about,” she says.
Cozza says when she learned Epilepsy York Region had been selected as this year’s Taste of the Hill beneficiary, she was “so excited about awareness this would bring, to not only our agency, but to the families (of people living with epilepsy) in York Region.”
Cozza says the Taste of the Hill event itself was an excellent venue for raising epilepsy awareness. Purple is the official colour of epilepsy awareness, and Taste of the Hill staff members wore purple T-shirts and there were signs and posters explaining the event’s proceeds would support Epilepsy York Region.
Epilepsy York Region volunteers and staff were on hand at the event to provide information and discuss epilepsy with attendees and answer questions.
“It was a wonderful event we were definitely proud to be a part of,” Cozza says. “The awareness was phenomenal.”
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