Observances & Commemorations is a component of AdvanceEdition, AScribe's essential newsletter for media professionals in the public interest sector. This feature notes recurring campaigns mounted each year by public interest organizations to increase awareness of important social, cultural or health issues.

See also AScribe's Key Dates, a calendar of future coverage opportunities.

* National Immunization Awareness Month

August is historically the time when parents must see to it that childhood immunizations are complete in order to be able to enroll their children in school. Schools and public health agencies conduct awareness programs at this time of year. It's also the time when health care professionals begin preparations for the next flu season. See:

http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/default.htm

* Purple Ribbon Month

A child left unattended in a parked car can die in a matter of minutes from overheating, even if the outside temperature is moderate. Purple Ribbon Month raises awareness of "Kaitlyn's Law," which makes it illegal to leave a child under the age of six unattended in a vehicle. The law was named for 6-month-old Kaitlyn Marie Russell, who died of hyperthermia after being left in a vehicle by her babysitter. The organization 4 R Kids Sake encourages communities to display purple ribbons as reminders to prevent such tragedies, which occur dozens of times each summer. See:

http://www.4rkidssake.org/

* National Child Support Awareness Month

President Ronald Reagan issued the first proclamation in 1983 to encourage local courts, law enforcement agencies and social service providers to work together to collect child-support payments from deadbeat parents. See:

http://www.ncsea.org/

* National Inventors' Month

This commemoration was founded in 1998 by Inventors' Digest magazine, the United Inventors Association and the Academy of Applied Science to promote public awareness of inventors and their accomplishments. The sponsoring organizations distribute educational materials to libraries and schools.

* Spinal Muscular Atrophy Awareness Month

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), the number one genetic killer of children under the age of two, is a group of inherited diseases that destroys the nerves controlling voluntary muscle movement. See:

http://www.curesma.org

* Psoriasis Awareness Month

Psoriasis is a common, noncontagious skin disease that has more than its fair share of negative psychological and physical effects. Those afflicted often feel anger, embarrassment and depression. The condition, as yet incurable, results when faulty signals in the immune system prompt skin cells to regenerate too quickly, causing lesions that crack and bleed. Many people with psoriasis also develop a form of arthritis. See:

http://www.psoriasis.org/events/pam/

* Cataract Awareness Month

Twenty million Americans age 40 and over have cataracts, one of the most curable causes of vision loss. This observance is meant to raise awareness that cataracts (clouding of the eye's lens) usually can be removed with surgery. See:

http://www.eyecareamerica.org/eyecare/conditions/cataracts/index.cfm

* Hair Loss Awareness Month

This campaign of the American Academy of Dermatology is intended to dispel myths about hereditary hair loss -- a condition that affects 80 million Americans -- and promote treatment options. See:

http://www.aad.org

* Awareness Month for Several Types of Cancer

Governments and nonprofit organizations are gearing up annual campaigns to combat various forms of cancer that strike men, women and children. Health editors and producers will be looking for story angles on prevention and the latest information on treatment.

September health observances include:

-- National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month

The National Childhood Cancer Foundation and the Children's Oncology Group have joined forces to make the fight against childhood cancers a national public policy priority. See:

http://www.curesearch.org/support_curesearch/raise_awareness/

-- Leukemia and Lymphoma Awareness Month

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society sponsors this observance to raise awareness and seek cures for blood cancers, including leukemia (which affects the bone marrow and blood) and lymphoma (which originates in the lymphatic system). See:

http://www.lls.org

-- Prostate Cancer Awareness Month

One in six men (for African American men, the ratio is one in four) will get prostate cancer. This observance stresses regular screening; in its early stages, prostate cancer has no symptoms -- and the survival rate is close to 100 percent if the disease is detected early. Prostate cancer gains public recognition periodically when prominent figures choose to disclose their medical status. During recent years, Rudy Giuliani and Robert DeNiro have been the poster boys. See:

http://fightprostatecancer.org

-- Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month

The National Ovarian Cancer Coalition is committed to improving the survival rate and quality of life for women with ovarian cancer. The disease will kill an estimated 16,000 women in the U.S. this   year. But if the cancer is detected at its earliest stage, the 5-year  survival rate is over 93 percent. See:

http://www.ovariancancerawareness.org/

* National Preparedness Month

The Department of Homeland Security sponsors National Preparedness Month, an effort to encourage Americans to prepare for emergencies in their homes, businesses and schools. Agencies will be distributing information on putting together emergency supply kits and developing family emergency plans. This awareness program was created after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. See:

http://www.ready.gov/america/npm08/intro.html

* Hispanic Heritage Month

Census figures indicate that there are about 40 million people of Hispanic ancestry living legally in the United States. Most can trace their roots to the cultures of the indigenous peoples of the Americas. Heritage Month begins on Sept. 15, the anniversary of independence for five Latin American countries (Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua) and runs though Oct. 15. Many activities are focused on schools and classrooms.

* National Alcohol & Drug Addiction Recovery Month

Substance abuse is a national health crisis that affects millions of American families and strains local government resources to the breaking point. The Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, a U.S. Health and Human Services initiative, sponsors this observance in an effort to improve the lives of individuals and their families affected by alcohol and drug abuse. It also promotes the message that recovery is possible, and celebrates people in recovery and those who serve them. See:

http://www.recoverymonth.gov/2008/default.aspx

* National Pain Awareness Month

Pain has a huge personal, social and economic impact, yet it has become the focus of widespread medical concern only in recent years. Pain is the chief cause of adult disability in the U.S., affecting one in three Americans. It costs $100 billion annually in lost workdays, medical expenses and other costs. Families and communities that surround those with unmanaged pain also pay a high price. This observance promotes a multidisciplinary approach that can help people with chronic pain regain control of their lives. See:

http://www.nationalpainfoundation.org

http://www.paineducators.org

* National Food Safety Awareness Month

This observance is sponsored by the National Food Safety Program. Its principal aims are to reinforce food safety education and training among restaurant and food service workers and to educate the public on the safe handling and preparation of food at home. See:

http://www.foodsafety.gov

* National Cholesterol Education Month

Whether a person is thin, overweight, young or old, he or she can still have high cholesterol. Cholesterol is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke, the No. 1 and No. 3 killers of Americans. See:

http://hp2010.nhlbihin.net/cholmonth/

* International Update Your Resume Month

Career Directors International, an organization of career professionals, sponsors this observance as a reminder that it's always a good idea to keep your resume current. See:

http://www.careerdirectors.com/