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Each year, the Tuesday after Thanksgiving marks a global celebration of generosity known as
Giving Tuesday. What began as a simple idea, to inspire people to do good, has grown into a
movement that spans over 80 countries, uniting people around the world in acts of compassion
and kindness. For me, this day isn’t just a line on the calendar. It represents the very heart of
what the Histiocytosis Association strives to build every single day: a community bound
together by hope, love, resilience, and the belief that we can create meaningful change when we
act together.

My Experience with Giving Tuesday

As someone who has led and supported nonprofit missions for over two decades, I have always
cherished the spirit of Giving Tuesday. But this year holds a deeper meaning.
Over the past several months, I have had the privilege of listening to patients, parents, caregivers,
physicians, researchers, and families who have walked the histio journey. Their stories are filled
with courage and pain, with moments of isolation, fear, perseverance, and most
importantly: hope. I have seen firsthand how connection brings comfort, how information
brings clarity, how research brings new treatment possibilities, and how community brings
strength.

On Giving Tuesday, that hope becomes visible. It becomes shared. It becomes action.
Whether someone donates $5, $50, or simply shares their story or our mission—it matters. Every
act of generosity moves us forward.

Why Giving Tuesday Matters for the Histio Community

Histiocytic disorders are rare. Many families feel alone when they first hear the diagnosis. They
turn to us for community, guidance, information, and support. And they look to us to push
research further. To ensure that better treatments and cures continue to advance.
Your Giving Tuesday support helps us:

• Fund research that leads to new treatment options and scientific breakthroughs
• Connect families through community-building programs, education, and support
• Empower patients and caregivers with reliable, compassionate resources
• Raise awareness, so no one has to navigate histio alone

Every gift on Giving Tuesday helps create a ripple of hope and those ripples add up.
Tying Giving Tuesday to Year-End Giving Success

Giving Tuesday is more than a single day of giving. It kicks off the season of generosity that
carries us through the end of the year. Historically, nearly 30% of all charitable donations
happen in December, and a meaningful portion of our ability to sustain research funding, family
support programs, and global advocacy efforts depends on the strength of our year-end
campaign.
Your support ensures that we can continue to:

• Champion families from diagnosis through every stage of the journey
• Support cutting-edge research across the globe
• Advocate alongside partners, clinicians, and scientists
• Build a stronger, more connected histio community

This year, our year-end campaign is rooted in HOPE—a word that carries deep meaning across
the histio community. Hope is what families cling to in uncertainty. Hope is what drives
researchers to push harder. Hope is what keeps us connected, even in the hardest moments.
Your contribution is more than a gift,you are literally stitching hope into the fabric of our
community.

How You Can Take Action

Here are three meaningful ways to make an impact:

1. Make a year-end gift to support research, awareness, and family support
2. Share our mission on social media¹ to help others find us
3. Honor someone you love with a donation in their name

Every gift, large or small, makes a direct impact.
Together, We Move Forward
Giving Tuesday reminds us that even in a world that can feel overwhelming and uncertain, there
is tremendous power in coming together.
To every family, volunteer, donor, researcher, ambassador, clinician, and supporter—thank you.
Your generosity fuels our mission. Your belief gives us strength. Your hope leads us forward.
Let’s carry the spirit of Giving Tuesday into every day of this season, and every day after.
Because hope lives here—and together, we make it stronger

1. Facebook, Instagram ↩︎