The Great Purple Cupcake Project

What’s this all about?
Conceived by three smart cupcakes at The Anita Kaufmann Foundation (AKF), The Great Purple Cupcake Project is a sweet epilepsy awareness initiative supporting Purple Day (March 26th). During the week of March 26th, AKF is inviting bakeries and cupcakeries across the United States to feature PURPLE CUPCAKES in an effort to promote awareness of a condition that affects over 3 million Americans.

We’ll provide you with the Purple Day swag and signage and you make the cupcakes. All we ask is that a portion of cupcake sales go back to Purple Day for epilepsy awareness (10% is suggested). In return, your shop and website will be listed on a dedicated page at both www.purpleday.org and www.akfus.org. We will also provide you with press materials to send out to the local media.

Purple Day, Huh?
Purple Day is an international grassroots effort dedicated to increasing awareness about epilepsy worldwide. On March 26th annually, people from around the globe wear purple to promote awareness about epilepsy. Purple Day was founded in 2008, by nine-year-old Cassidy Megan of Nova Scotia, Canada. Motivated by her own struggles with epilepsy, Cassidy started the day in an effort to get people talking about the disorder and reassure those with seizures that they are not alone. She named the day Purple Day after the internationally recognized color for epilepsy, lavender.

Why get involved?
Well, why not? Epilepsy affects more than 3 million Americans and 50 million people worldwide. That’s more people than multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy and Parkinson’s disease combined! Additionally, each year in the United States, 200,000 new cases are diagnosed—45,000 of which are children under the age of 15.

Despite these statistics, epilepsy remains one of the most publicly misunderstood conditions, and misconceptions about the disorder persist. Consequently, many people with epilepsy face barriers due to a lack of public awareness. In fact, many persons with epilepsy indicate the negative perceptions of others are worse than the seizures themselves.

How can my cupcakes help?
Giving back has never been so simple…or so sweet! For the week of March 26th, feature PURPLE CUPCAKES at your shop and donate a percentage of sales to Purple Day. The Anita Kaufmann Foundation will provide your shop with promotional materials and information on Purple Day and The Great Purple Cupcake Project for your customers. We’ll also link to your shop on both www.purpleday.org and www.akfus.org and provide you with press materials.

To join The Great Purple Cupcake Project, contact:
Michelle Caplan, Partnership Executive
The Anita Kaufmann Foundation – US Sponsor of Purple Day
michelle@akfus.org


What is epilepsy?
Epilepsy is a neurological condition characterized by recurrent seizures. Epilepsy is not a psychological disorder or a disease and it is not contagious. Epilepsy is diagnosed after a person has had two or more unprovoked seizures (seizures not caused by a condition such as alcohol withdrawal or extremely low blood sugar).

Seizures are caused by brief, strong surges of electrical activity in the brain and can take many different forms. A seizure can look like a blank stare, daydreaming, muscle spasms, uncontrolled movements, or a convulsion. Seizures also vary in frequency and duration. A person with epilepsy may experience seizures rarely or as often as multiple times a day—each lasting anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes. If the condition is successfully controlled by medication, a person may be seizure free.

To learn more, visit www.purpleday.org or www.akfus.org.

• < Previous Event
• Next Event >

Comment