Psoriasis Cure Now Video Contest: The best of the rest
In addition to the nine Finalists selected in the Psoriasis Cure Now Video Contest, there were 50 other videos that we could not afford to give cash prizes to. We were not able to label as Finalists some EXCELLENT videos. So visit the Psoriasis Cure Now group on YouTube to watch these videos, then come back to this page to tell us which ones NOT selected as Finalists should have been. We'll be looking for ways to promote these videos as well.
Just click on "COMMENTS" below and tell us where we screwed up big-time!
Thanks to everyone who participated in any way in the first national Short Sleeve Day yesterday. We'll recap it in coming days, but for now, we just want to urge you to be proud of what we accomplished. One of the early themes we are hearing from people who participated is that in distributing our informational cards or wearing the official Short Sleeve Day t-shirt, they learned that lots of people they came in contact with seem to have a brother, cousin, spouse, or co-worker who has the disease.
Also, in other news, if you are interested in winning the $7,500 Grand Prize in the Psoriasis Cure Now video contest, note that there are just 10 days left to enter. The deadline for entries is September 26, 2007.
This is the final volunteer profile as we count down the last few hours until the first national Short Sleeve Day on September 15, 2007.
Kevin Burdick is an unusual performer -- someone who writes (and sings) openly about his psoriasis. And if you have heard his powerful music, you can't help but think that some of the challenges psoriasis has put before him since his teen years are being channeled into his music.
He has put great energy into running the Salt Lake City Short Sleeve Day event. He'll take the stage at about 10 pm at 5 Monkeys in Murray, Utah Saturday night. And we're pretty sure he'll put on a great show.
We'll close with Kevin's own words:
"For two decades now, psoriasis has been a source of great pain and extreme motivation that affects me almost daily. This September 15th, I will shed my long sleeves with pride for 'Short Sleeve Day' in order to help others realize that psoriasis doesn't have to hold them back from living their lives and pursuing their dreams."
Don't forget to show some skin on Short Sleeve Day!
This is the fourth volunteer profile as we count down the days until the first national Short Sleeve Day on September 15, 2007. Careful readers will note these profiles keep getting shorter, as there is much still to do before Short Sleeve Day!
And he agreed! So Nik is schlepping down to DC to do an unpaid gig for us at noon on Short Sleeve Day. We're grateful for his enthusiasm and proud that he is a Psoriasis Cure Now volunteer.
This is the second volunteer profile as we count down the days until the first national Short Sleeve Day on September 15, 2007. Yesterday was Greg V of Chicagoland.
Today we profile New York artist Gillian Fisher, who created the wonderful artwork that brings to life our Short Sleeve Day message.
Gillian first prepared the logo for the Psoriasis Cure Now Video Contest [deadline for submissions, 9/26 --Ed.]. We had sought a picture of a hand holding a camcorder, but with a twist: the hand should have visible psoriasis. She did a great job on that.
So we sent her an email asking if she would do the central logo for our next campaign. We gave her little direction, simply saying it should be a line of people showing their psoriasis, and be both whimsical and hopeful.
And now we have people as far away as the Netherlands trying to get hold of a Short Sleeve Day t-shirt with her art on it!
Short Sleeve Day -- Saturday, September 15, 2007 -- is designed to educate the general public, but it is also designed to challenge psoriasis patients. Most of us who can, try to keep our psoriasis hidden. Short Sleeve Day turns that notion on its head and says on this day, at least, we will show some psoriasis to the world. It may sound like a trivial thing to those who do not have psoriasis but we have heard from people struggling in the run-up to Short Sleeve Day--they don't know if they can bear to expose their psoriasis publicly. (Our answer is: if you are not ready, wait 'til next year. But use the day to educate some people about the seriousness of psoriasis.)
Gillian's art takes the act of showing one's psoriasis and adds humor and beauty to it. And everyone has their favorite character in that line of psoriasis patients. Who's yours?
Gillian spent a lot of time refining that logo until it was perfect. We hope it inspires you as much as it does us.
And we hope you'll be seeing more of Gillian's work on our website in the future. But don't tell her we said that. We think she needs a rest from us for a while.
Tomorrow: the San Francisco guitarist with a day job.
In the run-up to the first national Short Sleeve Day on September 15, 2007, we'll be profiling a few of the volunteers who are making it possible. Today: Greg V of Chicagoland.
Greg, who has psoriasis, was approached by email and he did not hesitate to jump right in. And he has not paused since. He selected the venue, developed the event, printed his own promotional handouts, and distributed them and his own emails to raise hundreds of dollars for the cause, not just from local friends and colleagues but from around the country.
Mike Paranzino, president of Psoriasis Cure Now, had the chance to meet Greg recently and said this: "Greg has enthusiasm, and he uses that to motivate others and bring out the best in them. We're grateful to have someone like that in our corner."
"Psoriasis can be tough on kids, and it's no picnic for their parents, either," said Michael Paranzino, president of Psoriasis Cure Now and someone whose psoriasis started in high school. "As children with psoriasis head back to school, these resources will help their parents 'educate the educators' about the unique challenges faced by kids with psoriasis."
The podcast interview is with Amy Paller, MD, the Walter J. Hamlin Professor and Chair of Dermatology, Professor of Pediatrics, at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine. Dr. Paller is one of the nation's leading pediatric dermatologists and an expert on psoriasis in children. She offers a wealth of information in this interview, including treatment strategies for psoriasis in children, what to tell a child's teacher about the disease, and how to address the emotional impact of psoriasis that can significantly impair a child's quality of life.
The back to school fact sheet about psoriasis in children is designed for parents to give to their child's teacher, coaches, school nurse and others who interact with their child during the school day. Hundreds of thousands of American children have psoriasis, a non-contagious disease of the immune system that causes skin cells to replicate too quickly, producing dry skin that can itch, crack, bleed and be quite painful. A recent study in the British Journal of Dermatology found that children with psoriasis report impairment in their quality of life that equals the impairment reported by children with other chronic illnesses such as epilepsy, diabetes and asthma.
