Arthritis Society readies new awareness campaign
By Adnews Staff
The Arthritis Society of Toronto will conduct a month-long awareness campaign in September intended to educate Canadians about the disease. The initiative will begin with the release on Sept. 5 of an Ipsos Reid survey into Canadian attitudes toward joint pain and stigma. At the same time, the society will launch a new website at <http://www.arthritis.ca> that will offer customizable information about the disease and its treatments. Visitors to the site will also be invited to participate in an online scavenger hunt to win prizes. The organization will also conduct a series of question-and-answer events on Facebook in September featuring health care experts who will discuss topics such as treatment, nutrition and exercise. The campaign will also include a photography contest called "We Have Arthritis." Participants can enter by posting images to Flickr that will then be shared on other social media websites. These online activities will be accompanied by local events and public information forums in communities nationally.