The Anita Kaufmann Foundation is a 501©3 with a mission is to educate the public not to fear people with epilepsy, seizures or brain trauma. Programs eliminate stigma and increase awareness of these conditions and their impact on families and entire communities. AKF is the global sponsor of Purple Day®.
In 2008, a nine-year-old Cassidy Megan of Nova Scotia, Canada created the idea of Purple Day®. Motivated by her own struggles with epilepsy, Cassidy's goal was to get people talking about the disorder in an effort to dispel myths and inform those with seizures that they were not alone. She named the day Purple Day® after the internationally recognized color for epilepsy, lavender.
Today, Purple Day® has become the largest grassroots effort dedicated to increasing awareness about epilepsy worldwide. Each year on March 26, people from around the globe are asked to wear purple and spread the word about epilepsy. The Anita Kaufmann Foundation has teamed up with epilepsy organizations from around the world to help make Purple Day® one of the largest global epilepsy awareness initiatives ever, now celebrated in over 80 countries and in every state in the US. And, answering the requests of persons with epilepsy to ensure epilepsy awareness each and every day, AKF has launched the “Purple Day® Every Day” Initiative.
