Mesothelioma Awareness Day falls on September 26th each year. Since 2004, this day has helped raise awareness about mesothelioma cancer. In 2010, Congress officially recognized Mesothelioma Awareness Day. Supporters of this day include patients, loved ones, researchers, doctors and survivors. Groups working towards a cancer cure often provide social and financial support, too.
Participating in this day helps to spread information about mesothelioma. This helps raise funds for research about mesothelioma treatment. People can get involved in many ways, like attending Mesothelioma Awareness Day events. The mesothelioma cancer community also comes together to connect and share their experiences.
The Importance of Mesothelioma Awareness Day
A main goal of Mesothelioma Awareness Day is to increase education about this rare cancer. Mesothelioma is a cancer caused by asbestos exposure. And raising mesothelioma awareness is important for many reasons.
- Awareness can lead some people to a diagnosis sooner. An early diagnosis may offer the best possible prognosis for patients.
- The disease’s long latency period can make diagnosis difficult. In general, mesothelioma develops 10 – 50 years after exposure. Better awareness of this fact may help people document past asbestos exposure before it’s forgotten.
- Many people are at-risk for this cancer. In fact, more than 20 million people in the United States are at risk of developing mesothelioma.
- Increased visibility about the dangers of asbestos exposure can bring it to the forefront of vulnerable populations’ minds. Avoiding asbestos exposure may help reduce the chance of mesothelioma.
Mesothelioma Awareness Day events also raise money for important research. This funding helps doctors and scientists develop better treatments. It may also contribute to improvements in diagnostic tools. These efforts can provide hope and potentially improve health outcomes for mesothelioma patients.
How to Participate in Mesothelioma Awareness Day
There are many participation options for anyone interested in observing Mesothelioma Awareness Day. Some people may want to attend events on this day. People may also join in fundraising efforts or find support from community members.
To observe Mesothelioma Awareness Day, people may choose to:
- Attend virtual or in-person educational events. During the month of September, organizations host virtual and in-person events to give people the opportunity to learn more about mesothelioma.
- Donate. People can help fund mesothelioma research by donating to the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation.
- Dress in blue. Show support for the community and help raise awareness by wearing blue.
- Get a state proclamation. You can submit a request to your state to officially proclaim September 26 as Mesothelioma Awareness Day through a simple process.
- Join fundraising efforts. There are often fundraising walks or other types of local and virtual events on this day.
- Post to social media. Use the tag #curemeso for any mesothelioma awareness posts.
- Share infographics. The Mesothelioma Foundation makes many mesothelioma and asbestos graphics to help with online visibility.
- Visit a Light the World Blue landmark. Many major buildings will use blue lights to support Mesothelioma Awareness Day.
Buildings Turning Blue for Mesothelioma Awareness Day
In 2020, an oncology company called Novocure® began a Mesothelioma Awareness Day initiative. Buildings across the country participated by turning their lights blue on September 26th. Last year, more than 70 buildings lit up blue to support Mesothelioma Awareness. This year, the goal is to light a building in every state.
Besides being an attention-getter, Light the World Blue has a social component too. Supporters of Mesothelioma Awareness Day can take pictures in front of the buildings. Many people share these photos on social media with the hashtag #curemeso. This helps raise mesothelioma awareness in a noticeable way.
Sites Participating in Light the World Blue
In 2023, some noteworthy buildings and historical sites lit up blue for mesothelioma awareness:
- Bank of America Plaza in Dallas, TX
- Beacon of Hope in Salt Lake City, UT
- The Fore River, Ken Burns, Longfellow and Zakim Bridges in Boston, MA
- The Governor’s Mansion in Dover, DE
- The Louisiana State Capitol Building in Baton Rouge, LA
- One Liberty Place in Philadelphia, PA
- The Seattle Great Wheel in Seattle, WA
- … and dozens more
The full list of landmarks and buildings supporting Mesothelioma Awareness in the past includes:
- JL Tower (Anchorage, AK)
- Union Plaza Building (Little Rock, AR)
- Mayo Clinic (Phoenix, AZ)
- Union Station (Los Angeles, CA)
- McNichols Building (Denver, CO)
- Governor’s Mansion (Dover, DE)
- Mayo Clinic (Jacksonville, FL)
- One Atlantic Center Foundation (Atlanta, GA)
- Bandshell Park (Ames, IA)
- US 30 Welcome Lights (Ames, IA)
- 8th and Main (Boise, ID)
- 875 Michigan Ave (Chicago, IL)
- Bayview Bridge (Quincy, IL)
- Arts Quincy Sculpture (Quincy, IL)
- Indiana Power and Light (Indianapolis, IN)
- South Bend River Lights (South Bend, IN)
- LIED Center of Kansas (Lawrence, KS)
- Helix Garage/Lexington Parking Authority (Lexington, KY)
- Louisiana State Capitol Building (Baton Rouge, LA)
- Zakim Bridge (Boston, MA)
- Longfellow Bridge (Boston, MA)
- The Fore River Bridge (Boston, MA)
- The Ken Burns Bridge (Boston, MA)
- The Boston Harbor Hotel (Boston, MA)
- Guardian Building (Detroit, MI)
- One Woodward (Detroit, MI)
- David Stott Building (Detroit, MI)
- Ally Detroit Center (Detroit, MI)
- One Campus Martius (Detroit, MI)
- Federal Reserve (Detroit, MI)
- 321 Lafayette (Detroit, MI)
- The Z Deck (Detroit, MI)
- Amway Grand Plaza (Grand Rapids, MI)
- I-35W Bridge (Minneapolis, MN)
- 100 & 111 Washington Square (Minneapolis, MN)
- Mayo Clinic Plummer Tower (Rochester, MN)
- France Ave Lights (Edina, MN)
- Bayview Bridge (West Quincy, MO)
- Power & Light Building (Kansas City, MS)
- Emerson Center for the Arts (Bozeman, MT)
- Duke Energy Center/550 South Tryon (Charlotte, NC)
- Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge (Omaha, NE)
- Ocean City Bridge (Ocean City, NJ)
- Las Cruces City Hall (Las Cruces, NM)
- Pier 17 (New York, NY)
- Peace Bridge (Buffalo, NY)
- Niagara Falls (Niagara Falls, NY)
- Barclay Damon Tower (Syracuse, NY)
- Mid-Hudson Bridge (Highland, NY)
- Terminal Tower (Cleveland, OH)
- Skydance Bridge (Oklahoma City, OK)
- Crystal Bridge Tropical Conservatory (Oklahoma City, OK)
- Woodburn Bridge (Woodburn, OR)
- Stone Bridge (Johnstown, PA)
- One Liberty Place (Philadelphia, PA)
- Gulf Tower/Koppers Building (Pittsburgh, PA)
- Comerica Bank Tower Fountains (Dallas, TX)
- Bank of America Plaza (Dallas, TX)
- Beacon of Hope (Salt Lake City, UT)
- Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center (Virginia Beach, VA)
- Seattle Great Wheel (Seattle, WA)
- Two Union Square (Seattle, WA)
- Pfister Hotel (Milwaukee, WI)
- The West Virginia Building (Huntington, WV)
- Town Square Elk Antler Arch (Jackson, WY)
- University of Wyoming, Marian H. Rochelle Gateway Center (Laramie, WY)
Want to help light up the U.S. to help raise awareness of mesothelioma? Those interested in bringing the blue to their city can follow these instructions from the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation:
- First, identify a local building or landmark near you with lighting capabilities and check their website or contact their office in order to see if they take lighting requests.
- Ask for the landmark to be lit blue on September 26th for Mesothelioma Awareness Day. Landmark websites often have a form for submitting this type of request.
- Contact the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation at [email protected] and let them know the application status: submitted, confirmed or denied.
Additional information can be found on the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation website.
Mesothelioma Awareness Day offers support for the mesothelioma community. It also raises public awareness and funds for mesothelioma research. Securing funding for research helps mesothelioma researchers and specialists continue their work toward finding a cure.
