Scleroderma Foundation and Scleroderma Foundation / Tri-State Chapter Introduce Scleroderma to Times Square

BINGHAMTON, N.Y., April 17, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In the Northeast, an early jump into spring is preferred. For many with scleroderma, this time of year brings some welcome relief from the cold, which makes this disease even harder to cope with. 

The Scleroderma Foundation and its Tri-State Chapter are taking a different kind of early jump; an early jump into our June Scleroderma Awareness Month efforts. A special program is allowing us to get our message out to millions through a digital billboard in Times Square, cross roads to New York City and the world.

The towering 26 feet by 20 feet (520 square foot) – CBS billboard in the Square flashes our information to some of its 450 million annual visitors including those attending events, such as the Tribeca Film Festival, AIDS Walk NY and the Puerto Rican Day Parade.

The message puts a face to the disease and shows that it affects common people in addition to celebrities like NFL Hall of Famer Barry Sanders and actor Mark Teich. More of their scleroderma story can be found in a 10-minute video produced last year in an effort to speak from the patient's perspective. "Living With Scleroderma" as well as two versions of the digital spot can be viewed at www.YouTube.com/sftristate.

Our hope is that our 15-second digital spot will direct people to connect with the Scleroderma Foundation. While our message is difficult, it should help people realize they are not alone. Scleroderma Foundation CEO, Robert Riggs noted, "This is a great venue to achieve increased exposure to our message."

The billboard is located under the CBS logo above Cold Stone Creamery, 253 W. 42nd St.; the 15-second spot is scheduled to run once each hour starting April 1 and running through June 30, 2013.

About Scleroderma
Scleroderma [sklair-uh-DERM-uh] is a chronic, often progressive, autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks its own body. With no known cause, scleroderma is a painful, life altering disease that can be fatal.  It can cause a thickening and tightening of the skin. In some cases, it causes serious damage to internal organs including the lungs, heart, kidneys, esophagus and gastrointestinal tract. As scarring, or sclerosis of these organs and organ systems progress, they work less effectively and can lead to organ failure and death. Some medications and treatments can help with certain symptoms, but there is no known cure for scleroderma.

The disease affects about 300,000 people across the U.S. In comparison, approximately the same numbers of people are affected by multiple sclerosis.  There are an estimated 30,000 cases of scleroderma in Tri-State Chapter's New York, New Jersey and Connecticut service area.

About the Scleroderma Foundation / Tri-State Inc., Chapter
The Scleroderma Foundation/Tri-State Inc., Chapter is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization serving New York, northern New Jersey and Connecticut. The organization helps scleroderma patients and their families cope with the disease through support group programs, educational forums, physician referrals and educational information such as articles, books and DVDs, available through our lending library and a growing number of videos online at www.sclerodermavideo.com. The chapter has a three-fold mission which is to promote the welfare of individuals and families affected by scleroderma, increase public awareness and support scleroderma research. More about the work and mission of the Tri-State Chapter can be found at www.SclerodermaTriState.org and keep up-to-date on events and other happenings on Facebook (www.facebook.com/SFTriState) and on Twitter (@sclerodermaTS).

About the Scleroderma Foundation
The Danvers, Mass.-based Scleroderma Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to serving the interests of people with scleroderma. It has a network of 24 chapters and 150 support groups nationwide that carry out its three-fold mission of support, education and research.  The Scleroderma Foundation makes available at least $1 million in new research grants each year to find the cause and cure for scleroderma. More information about the Scleroderma Foundation can be found at www.scleroderma.org or by calling 800-722-HOPE (4673). You also can find the Foundation on Facebook (www.facebook.com/sclerodermaus) and Twitter (@scleroderma).

SOURCE Scleroderma Foundation

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