Stories of Strength
June is Scleroderma Awareness Month. We know that every person’s experience with scleroderma is unique. That’s why this year, we’re embracing the theme: Stories of Strength. This June we want to share your stories with the entire scleroderma community and the world. In addition to the Foundation’s social posts, #TealTalks and Stepping Out to Cure Scleroderma walks, we want to shine a light on your stories and your efforts to shine a light on scleroderma in your community. We hope you’ll share a video with us telling your story of strength, send us a photo of how you’re lighting up your home teal, and send us photos of how you’re getting involved with Awareness Month.
Awareness Month will culminate on World Scleroderma Day, June 29. World Scleroderma Day highlights the need to increase awareness of scleroderma and to advocate for those affected by this life-threatening disease. June 29 was selected in 2009 by FESCA (Federation of European Scleroderma Associations) as World Scleroderma Day to commemorate Paul Klee, a gifted abstract artist who died of systemic sclerosis on June 29, 1940.
2025 #TealTalk Series
To celebrate Scleroderma Awareness Month, we are bringing our community together for our #TealTalk series of live conversations with special guests. You won’t want to miss this! Be sure to use the links below to register in advance, or watch the recording after the event has taken place.
- June 5, 2025, 1:00 p.m. ET – #TealTalk: Strength, Strategy, and Mission in 2025
- June 11, 2025, 2:00 p.m. ET – #TealTalk: Patient Perspectives on Digital Ulcers
- June 18, 2025, 2:00 p.m. ET – #TealTalk: Welcome to Jan’s Home: Daily Living Aids in Action
- June 25, 2025, 2:00 p.m. ET – #TealTalk: ABLE Accounts & Planning for the Future
2025 Proclamations
2025 Light-Ups
Volunteers and Foundation team members worked tirelessly last year to help light the country teal during the month of June. Check out some of the photos from last year’s teal lights. Ready to help us shine even brighter in 2026? Learn more about light ups and proclamations here. Have you already secured a proclamation or light up? Let us know about it by completing this form.
Social Media Toolkit
We’ve created a few social media images to help you raise awareness among your own social media networks.
Right click on the image below to save the file to your device for your own use.
Facebook Cover Images
LinkedIn Cover Images
Light your space teal during Awareness Month! Share photos of your lights on social media using #storiesofstrength. Email your photos to communications@scleroderma.org.
Each person’s experience with scleroderma is unique, and every journey matters. Tell your story in a 30-60 second video and share it on social media using #storiesofstrength. Email your video to communications@scleroderma.org.
Video Examples:
Video Best Practices & Ideas to Get Started:
Your Journeys
Take a look back at some of the stories members of our community shared in 2024.
Proclamations and Light Ups
Proclamations:
- A proclamation is an official designation of an event. Proclamations are a great way to educate the public about a specific issue and bring attention to a cause.
- It is an effective tool for gaining public recognition of your event because it carries the full support of a key government official in your state or community.
Light Ups:
- During scleroderma awareness month in June, we will be lighting up across the USA.
- Why? To raise awareness
- Hashtag: #tealtalk
To share photos from proclamations and light-ups you have secured, please complete this form: Advocacy Activities
Thank You Sponsors
