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World CP Day | 70th Anniversary

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Celebrating you on World CP day!

2024 – CELEBRATING CPABC’S 70th

Join us in celebrating CPABC's 70th Anniversary on World CP Day!

Cerebral Palsy Association of BC (CPABC) is celebrating its 70th Anniversary this year and we want to hear from YOU! As we celebrate this momentous year and reminisce on years past, we were wondering… 

  • Are you also celebrating something?
  • Is there something you’re proud of and would like to share with the CPABC community? 

We want to share some of your moments through CPABC’s social media channels. Tell us what you’re proud of—we can’t wait to hear from you!

How It Works

If you would like to share this with the CPABC community, we invite you to send in a video of yourself, following these guidelines

  1. Record video in “landscape” format
  2. Video should be no longer than 15 seconds long as we are looking for one quick sentence to highlight something you are proud of or celebrating!
  3. Start your video by introducing yourself, for example “My name is Peter (last name optional) and I am celebrating ….” Or “My name is Peter (last name optional) and I am proud of…”

Everything will be captioned – if you would like to participate and require adaptive communication, we can accommodate this.

If you would like CPABC’s assistance in recording your video through Zoom, we would be happy to help with this!

Please submit all your questions and recordings to Denzil at programs@bccerebralpalsy.com

Join our Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter) and LinkedIn pages and let's share our stories.

Individual posing in front of science world which is lit up in green and purple

What's happens on October 6th, 2024?

BC Will Light Up GREEN

World Cerebral Palsy Day is a global movement of people with cerebral palsy and their families, and the organizations that support them, in more than 60 countries. The day is an opportunity to celebrate, raise awareness and take action to ensure that people with CP have the same rights, access and opportunity as anyone else in their communities.

BC will light up green to celebrate World CP Day. Some of BC’s most prominent landmarks (Canada Place, BC Place, Science World, etc) will light up green to promote CP awareness. Make sure to snap a picture and share it on social media!

Cerebral palsy (CP) affects body movement and muscle coordination, is not hereditary nor contagious but is a life-long condition. Over 10,000 people in BC live with Cerebral Palsy. It is the number one physical disability in children, and while many adults with CP work and lead productive lives many are bound by therapy and equipment expenses that can be debilitating.

CP is a complex disability:

  • 1 in 4 children with CP cannot talk
  • 1 in 4 children cannot walk
  • 1 in 2 have an intellectual disability
  • 1 in 4 have epilepsy.
  • CP is a lifelong disability and there is no known cure.

Learn more: Infographic: What is Cerebral Palsy?

The Cerebral Palsy Association of BC (CPABC) has a robust roster of 12 programs and services that support our community of over 1,000 members. From educational bursaries to recreational programs to support services. It’s all covered for the recipient of the funds or the attendee of the program.

Help us continue serving your community

At CPABC, we want to continue providing quality services but remain inclusive to people of all different abilities. With your support, we can do it.

Donate to CPABC today

What is World Cerebral Palsy Day?

A Global Movement to Help Realize Change

World Cerebral Palsy Day [WCPD] is a social movement of, by and for the CP community. World CP Day encourages action taken locally to help realize the global movement for change.

To ensure that individuals with Cerebral Palsy have the same rights, access and opportunities as anyone else.

Cerebral palsy (CP) is the most common physical disability in childhood and is also one of the least understood. Here are reasons why we need to raise awareness:

  • Doctors are reluctant to make a diagnosis
  • Many people receive ineffective therapies
  • Many individuals and their families lack access to basic information and support
  • Little money is being spent on research
  • Many societies keep people with CP out of sight, out of mind and out of options

Learn more:

By combining our resources, energy and knowledge to share our stories on World CP Day, our voices will be heard louder and farther. We can promote this through social media, in our offices, or write to our politicians and local media. Every effort counts. Use the World CP Day resources.

World Cerebral Palsy Day

Let's take action

On World CP Day, we will combine our resources, energy and knowledge to share our stories and ideas.

We will tell the world … I AM HERE … WE ARE HERE!

I Am Here

Your success stories and solutions can be applied in other places. Encourage others like you to overcome challenges.

  • Promote World CP Day in your office, on the streets, or via social media.
  • Use the World CP Day resources to take action in your town, city or country.

We Are Here

Help make World CP Day a success in your area.

  • Write to your politicians and local media. Let them know about World CP Day and any landmarks being lit up where you live.
  • Take a picture of yourself on World CP Day and share it with #WorldCPDay to help raise awareness.
  • Use the World CP Day resources and spread the word.

World CP Day Celebrations & Locations Lit Green to Show Support 

World CP Day was celebrated around BC and these places were lit green to show support in previous years. If you know of any new places this year, send us a email and we’ll add it to this list!

Past Locations:

  • Port Coquitlam City Hall
  • Canada Place Sails of Light
  • Fitzsimmons Covered Bridge Whistler
  • Mr. PG – Prince George
  • Science World
  • Anvil Centre New West
  • Kelowna Sails – Abbott Street
The Resort Municipality of Whistler will have the Village Stroll Gazebo in front of the Whistler Town Plaza Suites lit up green in support of Cerebral Palsy Awareness on October 6th, 2017.
Whistler's Village Stroll Gazebo in front of the Whistler Town Plaza was lit up green in support of Cerebral Palsy Awareness on October 6, 2017
Coquitlam City Hall lit up green for World Cerebral Palsy Day in 2017
Coquitlam City Hall was lit up green for World Cerebral Palsy Day on October 6, 2017

Cerebral Palsy Association of BC member and Port Coquitlam resident Peter Brown comments on World CP Day:

“Cerebral Palsy [CP] Day is an excellent opportunity for those of us with CP to educate the rest of the world, particularly our own communities, with respect to this affliction and the tremendous potential and ability that we all have, despite our condition. As with any such condition, there is tremendous uncertainty, almost mystery, for those who do not have, or do not know someone with, CP, as to what CP is and is not and the potential for great contributions to our world by those of us who do have CP. Thus this day provides a platform to provide information which will assist in educating others and, hopefully, break down barriers which continued to the exist for those of us trying to live, learn and work with CP. For me, it is a day during which those of was with CP should take the opportunity to provide the knowledge, information and expertise that we have gathered throughout our lives, to assess and fulfilling our responsibility to educate and inform our communities on we are, how far we have come and what challenges remain and which need to change, in order to benefit not only persons with CP but society as a whole.”