Squeeze Out a Cure for Epilepsy with Lily's Fund

Madison, Wisconsin - Lily's Fund for Epilepsy Research is inviting children and adults throughout Wisconsin to "squeeze out a cure for epilepsy" by hosting a lemonade stand on a warm summer day.

Individuals, groups and businesses will host their own lemonade stands to increase epilepsy awareness and raise money to support epilepsy research at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. Lemonade stands will be held on neighborhood sidewalks, at area swimming pools, schools, parks and other gathering spots.

"It's time to bring epilepsy out of the shadows and into the sunlight, and there's nothing better in the sunlight than a cool glass of lemonade," said co-organizer Colleen Murphy Penwell, whose daughter lives with epilepsy. "This is not a big-ticket fundraiser. It's a grassroots effort to involve people of all ages in something that will have a big local impact."

Epilepsy, which affects one in 26 people, is an electrical disturbance of the brain that results in repeated seizures (abnormal electric signals to the brain). The cause of epileptic seizures is often unknown but some sources may include brain injury, drug use, brain tumors and infections.

UW Health's epilepsy program is designated a Level 4 Epilepsy Center, the highest rating, by the National Association of Epilepsy Centers.

Lily's Fund, an all-volunteer-driven organization that supports epilepsy research, is supporting the lemonade stand efforts by publishing helpful materials in its website, including:

• Lemonade stand guides (pdf)
• Promotional posters (pdf)
• Thank you stickers (pdf)