What is a Proclamation?
Rare Disease Community Events
What is a Proclamation?
Proclamations are a great advocacy tool for bringing public awareness to a cause. There are three 3 awareness days or weeks that Life’s a Polyp Foundation has joined other advocates in requesting proclamations for. When approved, an official proclamation is provided to the requestor who can use the proclamation in their advocacy efforts in person and online.
Hereditary Colon Cancer Syndromes Awareness Week
This awareness campaign is held the 4th week of March each year.
Participate and host fundraisers in your local area by using the template below to request an official proclamation!
FAP/AFAP Awareness Week
Observed the week of June 16th each year. This week started in Michigan and was chosen in honor of Carleton Myers’ 90 birthday. He lived to be 96 with FAP. His birthday was June 16th.
Participate and host fundraisers in your local area by using the template below to request an official proclamation!
Ostomy Awareness Day
Ostomy awareness is celebrated the 1st Saturday of October each year.
Participate and host fundraisers in your local area by using the template below to request an official proclamation!
Dan “Dry Dock” Shockley
Hereditary Colon Cancer Syndromes Awareness Week was started in 2021 by Dan “Dry Dock” Shockley when he requested Texas to recognize the 4th week of March with a proclamation. Dan “Dry Dock” is a passionate advocate for Attenuated Familial Adenomatous Polyposis and works tirelessly to raise awareness not only for AFAP but also ostomies.
Kevin and Carleton Myers
Kevin Myers and his father Carleton proudly show off their FAP proclamation. At 95 years old, Carleton lived with FAP and 2 ostomies. As tireless FAP advocates, Kevin and Carleton obtained a state proclamation for FAP Awareness Day.
Request Your Own Proclamation
Below is a proclamation template for each campaign that you can send to your Congressional Members, Governor, Mayor, etc. to request them to officially recognize each week and day with a proclamation. You may also consider reaching out to your Department of Health for assistance and inclusion. Sometimes due to spacing, officials will request for the proclamation to be shortened or for more state specific statistics to be added.
We would love for you to share with us and the FAP community a photo of you and your proclamation!
Download the Hereditary Colon Cancer Awareness Template
Download the FAP Awareness Template
Download the Ostomy Awareness Template
Rare Disease Community Events
Rare Disease Day is recognized globally on February 28th every year
To find what events are being held in your area, visit Rare Disease Day (https://www.rarediseaseday.org/)
You can also download materials to help raise awareness about rare disease, share your story and read those of others, and more.
Men’s Workshop: Familial Adenomatous Polyposis
Monday, August 24th 2026
5pm – 6 pm CST
Virtual
“Finding Strength Together: A Men’s Conversation on Living with Rare Disease”
Facilitated by David Hogan with Men’s Rare Disease Wellness Forum, this workshop is designed specifically for men with FAP and will focus on discussing and exploring the future fear that often arise after diagnosis and beyond.
Photo credit: David Rubenstein Treehouse, Harvard University
2026 RARE Drug Development Symposium
Wednesday, September 9th – Friday, September 11th 2026
David Rubenstein Treehouse
Harvard University
20 Western Avenue, Boston, MA 02134
“Accelerating Rare Disease Progress: Aligning Advocates, Science & Industry”
This symposium is specifically designed to equip advocates, industry leaders, and academic experts with the tools to navigate early-stage research with clinical precision and confidence. Attendees will have a mix of main stage sessions, targeted breakouts, group presentations, and hands-on workshopping. This symposium offers practical insights to accelerate progress in research strategies and activities.
Advocate Travel Support Program to offset the cost of attending the symposium is available to apply for until June 12th.
Photo credit: https://www.bethanychildrens.org/
Oklahoma Rare Disease Fair
Wednesday, September 30th 2026
9am-5pm CST
6800 NW 39th Expressway
Bethany, Oklahoma US 73008
We are excited to announce that on September 30th, 2026, we are bringing our Rare Disease Fair to the Bethany Children’s Heath Center in Oklahoma, in partnership with Oklahoma Rare!
Our goal is to meet communities where they are – bringing resources, amplifying voices, expanding networks, and driving lasting change across the rare disease landscape. Our event (established in 2017) aims to unite families, patients, healthcare professionals, and advocates to raise awareness, strengthen community, and advance meaningful policy change.
Photo Credit: Cherokee Nation Rare Disease Summit
Cherokee Nation Rare Disease Summit
Wednesday, October 7, 2026
9am – 4pm CST
Cherokee Nation Outpatient Health Center
19600 E Ross St, Tahlequah, Oklahoma 74464
The third annual Cherokee Nation Rare Disease Summit brings together specialty physicians, healthcare professionals, and community members to address rare diseases affecting Cherokee Nation citizens.
Photo Credit: Anschutz Medical Campus, Children’s Hospital of Colorado
Colorado Rare Disease Fair
Wednesday, October 12-23, 2026
13123 East 16th Ave
Aurora, CO 80045, United States
Children’s Hospital of Colorado
Anschutz Medical Campus
Conference Center
The second annual Colorado Rare Disease Fair and inaugural Rare Disease Research Day will be held on October 12-13, 2026 and will feature action-oriented discussions around the diagnostic odyssey, genetic testing, and gene therapy.
Photo Credit: https://campaign.unc.edu/story/campus-master-plan/
North Carolina Rare Disease Fair
Wednesday, November 5-6, 2026
200 South Elliott Road
Chapel Hill, NC 27514, United States
Blue Hill Event Center
The inaugural North Carolina Events will be held November 5-6, 2026, and feature action-oriented discussions around the diagnostic odyssey, genetic testing, and gene therapy.
Stay in the Loop!
Are you interested in learning about new ways to advocate and raise awareness for FAP and hereditary colon cancers? Our newsletter help keep you informed on what we’re doing to honor FAP patients, and will feature events and campaigns as they happen. Subscribe now to always stay in the know!