EVENTS
PA Lyme hosts a variety of interactive awareness events around the state, in addition to our patient and medical professional conferences. Through these events, we:
Raise awareness about tick-borne diseases and prevention,
Provide resources and in-person support, build community, and
Raise funds to expand our mission.
While no upcoming events are currently on the schedule, we are always planning and looking for opportunities to educate our communities about the dangers of ticks and the diseases they carry. If you have any ideas about future events, feel free to reach out to us at info@palyme.org or become a volunteer. Check out some of our amazing past events below!
2023 & 2024 - The Quiet Epidemic Screenings
Free screenings of this award-winning documentary in different cities across the state helped raise tick awareness and continue to help educate and protect the public from Lyme Disease and other debilitating tick-borne diseases.
2022 & 2023 - Lily Bennett Miniature Golf Fundraiser
Lily Bennett was an active 2-year-old who loved gardening and butterflies. In 2014, after playing in her yard, a tick was removed from her forehead. A few days later, Lily developed body aches, Bell’s Palsy symptoms and a rash. Doctors were informed about the removed tick, but did not attribute Lily’s worsening symptoms to the tick bite. Fifteen days later, 1 day after her 3rd birthday, Lily died of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, a tick-borne disease.
This community fundraiser, held in different locations around the state, helped raise funds to educate and protect the public from Lyme Disease and other debilitating tick-borne diseases. All while remembering Lily.
2018 - “the little things” docudrama
PA Lyme sponsored the Pennsylvania premier of the little things in October 2018. This theatrical docudrama, written by actor/filmmaker Jeremy Davidson and directed by film and Broadway star Mary Stuart Masterson, is a dramatic reading of the true life journey of the Elone family, who lost their son to Lyme disease in 2013, after returning home from a summer camp. This moving production fosters awareness of the Lyme disease epidemic, particularly important in this region, given Pennsylvania’s status as #1 in Lyme cases. The reading highlights the devastating impact Lyme can have on an individual and his or her family.
the little things was presented in memory of Kevin Furey, Jeff Naticchia and Pete Smith, who lost their lives to Lyme disease in 2017. The event also included a pre-show book signing of “Lyme: The First Epidemic of Climate Change” by award-winning journalist and author Mary Beth Pfeiffer, Lyme Disease information booth and free materials.
2017 & 2018 - Pennsylvania Association of School Nurses and Practitioners
PA Lyme partnered with Pennsylvania Association of School Nurses and Practitioners to present our Dare 2B Tick Aware Prevention program to educate their members about Lyme and tick-borne disease prevention, detection and proper tick removal. Two school documents were also created and provided for use by school nurses 1) to document a tick bite/tick removal for school nurses to complete and give to parents, 2) Outdoor Activities & Field Trips document for schools to provide to parents to educate about tick prevention in advance of school outdoor programming.
2017 & 2018 - Under Our Skin Viewing Events
PA Lyme hosted free viewings around the state of this acclaimed documentary about the untold story of Lyme disease, offering a powerful and often terrifying look not only at the science and politics of the disease, but also the personal stories of those whose lives have been affected and nearly destroyed. After the viewings, Q&A’s were held with a Lyme Literate practitioner to help the public better understand the disease.