by WHITLEY CLIFTON
With November being National Epilepsy Awareness Month, AnnaKade Clemens is at it again with promoting her annual epilepsy awareness campaign/fundraiser, with minor changes being implemented due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Normally, change buckets are disbursed to Emanuel County School classrooms. However, no change buckets will be placed in the schools this year. Headmaster Haley Free of DEA and Superintendent Dr. Kevin Judy of Emanuel County Schools System have both agreed to allow students to dress down and wear purple for one dollar on November 18.
Clemens has declared this day, November 18, to be Emanuel County’s Epilepsy Awareness Day to raise awareness for epilepsy and her fundraiser. She will also be sending out letters regarding her campaign fundraiser to all local businesses in request for donations as well as promoting her campaign fundraiser through air-time with WXRS and Y-96. In the letters distributed, Clemens will include her campaign history and how much she has donated to the Epilepsy Foundation of Georgia each year.
The first year, Clemens donated $1,200. Last year, she raised $6,000, and has set this year’s goal to exceed last year's total.
Clemens encourages all Emanuel County citizens to wear purple on Wednesday, November 18, and plans to visit participating businesses to take photos of those who participate. These photos as well as a list of all businesses that participate or donate to her campaign fundraiser will be featured in an upcoming edition of The Blade.
Having been diagnosed with epilepsy for eight years now, Clemens has learned a lot about epilepsy and how to deal with her diagnosis on a day-to-day basis. Clemens loves sharing information and raising awareness in hopes that one day, a cure can be found. Her campaign is tied into her Emanuel County 4-H project each year also. To read more regarding Clemens and her journey with epilepsy, be sure to check out her letter to the editor featured in this week’s edition of The Blade!
If you would like to make a donation to Clemen’s campaign fundraiser, checks should be made to the Epilepsy Foundation of Georgia and mailed to AnnaKade Clemens C/O Central Fence Company at 455 East Main Street in Swainsboro.
