Blue Hat
Bow Tie for CRC Awareness

By participating in Blue Hat Bow Tie for Colorectal Cancer Awareness, you can raise colorectal cancer awareness, promote colorectal cancer screening, and bring your community together in the fight against colorectal cancer.  

 

In 2010, colorectal cancer survivor and Blue Hat Foundation founder Candace Henley and her family decided to wear blue hats to church to raise colorectal cancer awareness. The church pastor noticed and asked about the significance of their blue hats and an opportunity was born to share information with their community.  

 

Since then, the Blue Hat Bow Tie initiative has grown far beyond Candace’s family and friends and has brought together many thousands of people. Events have included healthcare providers and other guest speakers, brought general health screenings to communities, and encouraged thousands to be proactive about their colorectal cancer screenings. And now, in partnership with the Global Colon Cancer Association, the Blue Hat Foundation is taking Blue Hat Bow Tie for Colorectal Cancer Awareness events to communities around the world.

 

We have put together a toolkit to help you host your own Blue Hat Bow Tie for Colorectal Cancer Awareness event in your community. These events come in all sizes, from a few coworkers wearing blue hats to lunch and sharing colorectal cancer screening information to broader community health promotion events.  

 

The official date of Blue Hat Bow Tie for Colorectal Cancer Awareness is Sunday, March 26, but we encourage you to hold your event on a date that works best for your community.   

 

In the toolkit you will find a road map for planning and promoting your Blue Hat Bow Tie for Colorectal Cancer Awareness event. We’ve also included some of Candace’s best tips for holding a successful event. Social media graphics, promotional posters, and a customizable sample press release will help you reach more members of your community. We have included sample letters to engage the healthcare community and local policymakers and help you form the partnerships that will grow your advocacy reach. And lastly, the Blue Hat Bow Tie for Colorectal Cancer Awareness toolkit has medically accurate information about colorectal cancer screening, written in plain language, for you to share at your event. 

 

In addition to the toolkit, GCCA is offering a stipend of US$100-300 to help you with your Blue Hat Bow Tie for Colorectal Cancer Awareness event. Once you’ve signed up to host an event, you’ll be able to apply for the stipend.  

 

If you have any questions, please email jenn@globalcca.org.