May is Lyme Disease Awareness Month, a time when activists around the country work extra hard to shine a spotlight on Lyme and other tick-borne diseases. We’ve created a list of things that you, your family, and your support group can do to help spread the message.

Ask your local government to create a proclamation

A proclamation is a way for mayors, council members, and other elected representatives to commend people or make a public announcement. This is a simple process that allows you to educate local officials about how much Lyme disease is affecting their region, and create a newsworthy event to raise awareness.

Read more about how to do this here. 

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Put up a billboard

LymeDisease.org has worked with patient advocacy groups to put up billboards along highways in Arizona, Utah, and Wisconsin. You can do this, too! Use our Symptom Checklist artwork to save money on design work.

Read more about this here. 

Get your Lyme message on TV

Local TV stations want to tell stories that directly impact their viewers. A good way to capture their interest is to demonstrate how local people are at risk from ticks and the diseases they can carry.

Read more about how to do this here.

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Write a press release

A “press release” or “news release” is an official announcement to the public. You can send it to newspapers, TV and radio stations. You can also share it on social media.

Read more about how to do this here. 

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Write a letter to the editor of your local paper

Writing a letter to the editor of your local or regional newspaper can be an easy and effective way to reach a large audience with your Lyme awareness message. Letters to the editor are typically printed on the editorial page, which gets good readership. Elected officials and their staff members usually keep a close eye on media coverage in their local papers, so that’s a way to get your message before them as well.

Read more about how to do this here. 

Organize a screening of Under Our Skin

The award-winning documentary “Under Our Skin” and its sequel “Emergence” sparked widespread conversation about Lyme disease. You can keep the discussion going, whether you’re an individual or a group, by setting up a personalized screening of either film. This is a great way to educate others about the disease.

Read more about how to do this here. 

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Organize a Lyme education event

You can organize a Lyme education event just about anywhere. Some examples include schools, libraries, camps, YMCAs, gyms, doctor’s offices, parks, fire departments, and even the workplace. This is a great way to get everyone involved while raising awareness and educating the public on Lyme disease prevention.

Learn how to do this here.

Help us reach our goal of 10,000 MyLymeData participants

If you have been diagnosed with Lyme disease and live in the United States, you are eligible to join our patient registry. MyLymeData is the largest long-term study ever conducted on Lyme disease, with over 7500 patients enrolled so far. Gathering the experience of actual Lyme patients provides a more accurate picture to researchers, a key factor in the search for better Lyme treatments and eventually, a cure.

Participants take surveys on their own computers at a time that is convenient for them. If patients are unable to enroll themselves, spouses or other family members can do it on their behalf. If you are ineligible to take part in the study, you can still support us by sharing MyLymeData with everyone you know. By doing so you help raise awareness and encourage action.

Click here to learn more about MyLymeData.

No act is too small. If you educate even one person, you have done something worthwhile. We hope this list will spark you to action!