Eight fun ways to fundraise this Purple Day

With under a month to go until Purple Day, there is still plenty of time to get your Purple Day Pack and hold a fundraiser for epilepsy.

If you thought the only way to fundraise for a charity is to run a marathon, we share three different and brilliant ways our fundraisers are raising money – and vital awareness – for Epilepsy Action.

Purple Day at Brownies

Jessica held a Purple Day at Brownies to get her Charity Badge. She organised activities like purple crafts, biscuit decorating, dressing up, a Purple Day quiz and a bake sale.

She said: “When I raised £100 for epilepsy I felt happy knowing I had helped people living with epilepsy.

“I am going to ask my teacher if I can fundraise for Epilepsy Action at school. I have made an epilepsy fact sheet to share with my friends.”

Running miles

Nyle took on a challenge to run 20 miles within less than a week and a half in support of his big sister Lily-May, who has tonic-clonic and absence seizures.

Nyle was very happy with the amount he raised but was exhausted by his challenge. He managed to exceed the 20 miles, reaching 20.84 miles.

Nyle’s mum Lisa said: “Nyle’s aim was to raise money and awareness for Epilepsy Action. He found it very hard running 20 miles for the first time, but worth it to help his sister and others.”

This year, Nyle is planning to run around his village to fundraise for Purple Day.

Purple Day plank

Sam is doing a plank for 28 days in March to raise money and awareness of epilepsy. She is increasing the time she holds the plank each day, leading up to Purple Day on the 26^th, “because a one-minute plank, much like a one-minute seizure, can feel like an absolute lifetime”.

One of Sam’s first thoughts when she got her epilepsy diagnosis was “Is my life over? Will I be limited? Slowed down? Held back?”

She explained: “But here is what epilepsy has taught me, often the hard way and occasionally face-first: life doesn’t stop after a diagnosis.

“In fact, people with epilepsy can achieve just as much as anyone else. My resilience empowers me.

“It’s true that seizures can knock us off our feet. Literally and figuratively. During and after one, moving or functioning normally can be tough. But for many of us, epilepsy does not define what we’re physically or mentally capable of achieving.

“I also know that when someone watches a loved one have a seizure, even a single second can feel like an eternity.”

Inspiring ideas

Fundraising can take any shape and size that suits you best. Here are five cool fundraisers that people have done for charities, to inspire you.

• An unusual bike ride – One dad raised money for critically ill children by cycling 200 miles on his daughter’s pink and white bicycle, adorned with one of her teddies. Another took his son to ride unicycles to raise money for charity.
• Catch-25 – A member of the Newcastle Nighthawks Baseball Team broke a world record playing catch without stopping for 25 hours to raise money for suicide prevention. More than 15,000 throws were made.
• Making bracelets – A 10-year-old from Wales raised thousands for a number of charities by making and selling bracelets. She was inspired to fundraise by her mum.
• Just keep swimming – A dad raised thousands in memory of his daughter by swimming in the sea every day for a year. He covered 181 miles and swam in seven seas.
• Clay collectables – A 10-year-old boy handmade and painted collectable clay snails to raise money for families in Ukraine. He sold more than 200 snails.