Nearly 3 million people in the United States live with epilepsy!

 

1 in 26 people will develop epilepsy in their lifetime.

 

To raise awareness and funds for epilepsy to provide assistance to those in need, The Epilepsy Association has created EpilepsyStore.com as the first online retail marketplace to “Shop Purple for a Purpose™” and bring epilepsy out of the darkness.

 

The Epilepsy Association created the EpilepsyStore.com with a brand that brings its proprietary purple “e” ribbon to life with the slogan, “Shop Purple for A Purpose.”

release-topquoteWe wanted to bring more awareness to epilepsy, make it stand out, and take advantage of the growing internet shopping market by creating a unique online store to generate a source of income to help sustain our nonprofit mission.release-bottomquote

 

Charles "Chuck" Carmen is the Executive Director of Orlando-based Epilepsy Association of Central Florida.

Charles “Chuck” Carmen is the Executive Director of Orlando-based Epilepsy Association.

Purple is the international recognized color for epilepsy awareness, but over 25 other charitable causes use it and the generic awareness ribbon. In order to differentiate epilepsy from other causes, a new epilepsy-specific purple ribbon in the shape of a bold and contemporary “e” has been designed to brand and launch The EpilepsyStore.com, the first online retail marketplace where people can “Shop Purple for a Purpose™”.

The EpilepsyStore.com is a new social enterprise created by The Epilepsy Association, an Orlando, Florida-based nonprofit organization, as an entrepreneurial way to generate revenue to support and expand epilepsy awareness, help fund programs, and provide services to those in need. The EpilepsyStore.com provides the only online shopping experience of its kind that brings together epilepsy awareness items such as uniquely-designed jewelry and clothing, as well as epilepsy assistive devices and educational items.

EpilepsyStore.com sells unique, custom-branded jewelry items such as these "purple e ribbon" awareness earrings.

EpilepsyStore.com sells unique, custom-branded jewelry items such as these “purple e ribbon” awareness earrings.

According to Chuck Carmen, Executive Director of The Epilepsy Association, “We wanted to bring more awareness to epilepsy, make it stand out, and take advantage of the growing internet shopping market by creating a unique online store to generate a source of income to help sustain our nonprofit mission.” Mr. Carmen continued, “With the popularity of social media today, more people affected by epilepsy are coming out of the shadows to break the stigma of epilepsy and join in the effort to build awareness, education and research for epilepsy.”

The idea for The EpilepsyStore.com came from The Epilepsy Association’s desire to leverage its successful online epilepsy support community, EpilepsyU.com, which reaches nearly 1,000,000 people worldwide every month with valuable news, information, education, and support. By launching The EpilepsyStore.com, the organization can continue to expand its geographic reach and mission by offering another way to help educate the nation and the world about epilepsy.

Since the recent launch of The EpilepsyStore.com, customer traffic and online orders have already exceeded early projections. The proprietary purple “e” ribbon has found its way on to uniquely-designed license plate frames, car magnets, jewelry, and clothing items. Plus, this month, The EpilepsyStore.com will launch its “Christmas in July” event featuring a new holiday ornament designed and manufactured exclusively for the online marketplace.

ABOUT THE EPILEPSY ASSOCIATION

The Epilepsy Association is a 50+ year-old, IRS-approved 501(c)3 non-profit that provides case management, medical services, support services, and epilepsy education. Its mission is to improve the quality of life for persons affected by epilepsy and seizure disorders. For further information, call 1-866-864-1416 or email HERE.