Thank You!

RLS Awareness Day 2017 was one of our most successful awareness campaigns yet. Hundreds of you donated, shared your RLS stories with us and your communities, and echoed to others that they are not alone. Not to mention that we made our $25K "Challenge for the Cure" match!

Some well-deserved thanks are in order for RLS Foundation member Susanne Campbell, who secured the RLS Foundation free ad space in the Chapman University Celebrates Opening Night program. Additionally, RLS Foundation volunteer contact M. Lynn McCracken was able to get a piece about RLS Awareness Day into her local newspaper, while volunteer Support Group Leader Susan Schlichting wrote a guest blog post about her experiences with SIBO and RLS. Countless others posted on social media (special shout out to Mary Stompe who posted a video about #MyRLS story) or took the initiative to discuss with loved ones the importance of spreading RLS awareness and how it affects quality of life.

In a follow-up survey, we asked you to tell us how you took action on RLS Awareness Day. Here are examples of some individuals that went above and beyond:

"[I] posted your [Awareness Day] message on my Facebook account. An old friend I'd not talked to in years message me. We discussed medications, non-medication solutions, and I pointed her to rls.org, the webinars and discussion boards." - Joanie E.

"I posted the RLS 25th Anniversary symbol as my Facebook profile picture, briefly described the condition and how it affects me and others, and provided a link to the rls.org site for more information. [I] also read my NightWalkers Summer 2017 issue from cover-to-cover, and plan to share it with friends who are interested in learning more per my Facebook post. Last but not least, I donated to the RLS Matching Challenge and plan to double the contribution via my workplace matching program." - Martin S.

I changed my profile picture on Facebook, shared [an RLS] PSA on Facebook, and subscribed to the [RLS Foundation's] YouTube channel. Thank you for all of the work you do. - Becky S.

Awareness leads to greater support from the medical community, increased RLS research, and the momentum we need to find a cure for RLS. Together, small actions to spread awareness strengthen our impact as a community. There's still so much work to be done, but you brought us closer to the momentum we need. On behalf of all of us at the RLS Foundation and the RLS community, we thank you!