Observances & Commemorations is a component of AdvanceEdition, AScribe's essential newsletter for media professionals in the public interest sector. This feature notes recurring campaigns mounted each year by public interest organizations to increase awareness of important social, cultural or health issues.

See also AScribe's Key Dates, a calendar of future coverage opportunities.

* American Diabetes Month

This awareness campaign sponsored by the American Diabetes Association emphasizes the link between diabetes, heart disease and stroke. Almost a quarter of the 23.6 million Americans with diabetes are unaware that they have the disease. See:

http://www.diabetes.org

* Lung Cancer Awareness Month

The Lung Cancer Alliance sponsors this observance, which aims to shine a spotlight on the most deadly form of cancer in the United States. Participants in the campaign organize rallies, distribute educational material, hold fundraisers and work to engage political leaders and the media. See:

http://lungcanceralliance.org/involved/lcam_month.html

* National Adoption Month

Social agencies around the country will host events to encourage adoption of the 129,000 children currently in foster care. The culmination on National Adoption Day, Nov. 21, will feature proceedings in courthouses across the nation as hundreds of adoptions are finalized simultaneously. See:

http://www.nationaladoptionday.org

* National Family Caregivers Month

An estimated 50 million Americans provide care for loved ones who have chronic ailments, disabilities or face the frailties of old age. Sponsored by the National Family Caregivers Association, this observance is a way to thank, support, educate and empower family caregivers - who are responsible for more than 80 percent of all long-term care in the U.S. See:

http://www.thefamilycaregiver.org/

* National Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month

President Ronald Reagan designated November as National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month in 1983 - a disease which overtook him 20 years later. The number of Americans diagnosed with Alzheimers has grown from two million in 1983 to more than five million today. By 2050, it is projected that as many as 16 million people will contract the disease. This month, local chapters of the Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Association will sponsor events for families, caregivers and the public. See:

http://www.alz.org/index.asp

* National Hospice Month

In 2006, an estimated 1.3 million terminally ill patients and their families received end-of-life care - a 167 percent increase in 10 years. This observance is sponsored by the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization. See:

http://www.nhpco.org

* National Epilepsy Month

The Epilepsy Foundation sponsors local events to raise public awareness of seizure disorders. See:

http://www.epilepsyfoundation.org/programs/Education.cfm

* National Novel Writing Month

The premise is simple, if daunting: Begin writing a 50,000-word novel on Nov. 1 and complete it by midnight, Nov. 30. This project of the nonprofit group NaNoWriMo rewards writers who value enthusiasm and perseverance over painstaking craft. Of 100,000 who took part in 2007's project, more than 15,000 completed their 175-page opus by the deadline. See:

http://www.nanowrimo.org/

* Safe Toys and Gifts Month

Safe Toys and Gifts Month focuses on making sure toys purchased for children for the holidays are safe. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety agency typically comes out with a list of dangerous toys. Toys for Tots programs across the country gather toy donations for underprivileged children. See:

http://www.usa.safekids.org/

* National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month

This observance spotlights the role of alcohol and drugs in the ongoing carnage on America's roads. Alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes accounted for 39 percent of all traffic-related deaths in the United States in 2005. Every day, 36 people die, and about 700 more are injured, in crashes that involve an alcohol-impaired driver. See:

http://www.cdc.gov/MotorVehicleSafety/Impaired_Driving/3d.html

* Universal Human Rights Month

This observance is an outgrowth of the adoption of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights on Dec. 10, 1948. Local organizations will sponsor events emphasizing human rights. See:

http://www.udhr.org/index.htm

* Seasonal Affective Disorder Month

Don't blame the holidays. Seasonal depression, also known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), is a form of depression that occurs as a result of seasonal changes in the amount of sunlight. See:

http://www.nmha.org/go/sad