Rare Disorders Month 2024

We can't wait to again call on Aotearoa to Glow up and Show up for Rare during the month of March to show support for the 300,000 Kiwis living with a rare disorder.

The campaign will be kicking off on International Rare Disease Day, which - next year being a leap year - will be on the very rarest of days - 29 February! 

What better opportunity to celebrate rarity in your community!  

Ways to get involved

• Contact your local schools or kura to mark Rare Disease Day with a Glow Up and Show Up dress-up or accessory day! Here is a template letter to help you contact your school. Some other ideas for ways schools can get involved can be found here.
• Rally local community groups, your workplace, family and friends to organise a fundraising event to show their support for rare and get creative with ways to Glow Up and Show Up;
• Ask your local council and businesses to light up their buildings in orange on 29 February;
• Ask local businesses to create something unique for Rare Disorders Month to help raise funds - orange sticky buns anyone? A unique bright 'glow up' cocktail perhaps? Pink cappucinos??
• Spread awareness and show support on social media using the below hashtags:

#GlowUpShowUp       #DoRightByRare       #RareDisordersMonth

Events

• Launch of White Paper on survey results at parliament, 28 February (invite only)
• Visit our stand at the Newtown Festival, 3 March
• Rare Beer Challenge 2024 at Fortune Favours in Wellington, 8 March

Keep an eye on this page as we add events and resources to help support your Rare Disorder Month activites. If you have any ideas or planned activities you would like to share with us contact us at RDNZadmin@raredisorders.org.nz 

Our inaugural Rare Disorders Month campaign in 2023 was a great success! Read more about it here.

Together we can bring rare disorders out of the darkness, and into the light.

How will you Glow Up and Show Up for Rare?

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