Raising Money and Awareness

Hello my name is Kyle... I recently joined the forum... i've had generalized epilepsy for 22 years... I've been through some good times and well some average times... i've prolly had 80 tonic-clonic seizures or gran mal seizures whatever they are called these days... I just recently did the ALS ice bucket challenge to raise money and awareness for Lou Gherigs disease.  It is a great cause, however I've noticed the lack of awareness and well money as a whole for Epilepsy... Only 30,000 people are living with Lou Gherig's disease.  50,000 people die every year from epilepsy alone and yet this one viral challenge will probably raise more money than epilepsy gets this year even though 3 million people are affected with epilepsy.  We need more awareness and some bigger money involved.  I'm in the investment industry so i have a few connections, but because of regulations I'm limited on how I can raise money/awareness without violating laws and getting audited.  I've been thinking a lot about this since I've done this challenge for ALS and we need to unite as a group and find a way to raise money and awareness through social media so that it goes viral just like this ALS ice bucket challenge has.  I have some decent connections with money and people as i'm sure some of you do, I just need some help, creativity and unity.  We are vastly underfunded and we need something to go viral to raise awareness.  I'm lucky considering that i'm able to hold a steady job where as many of you are not.  I want to help so much.  What we really need is to fully unite, generate some ideas, fully comit on one, and then all network at the same time.  Timing, Unity,and Creativy will be the best way to do this.  I live in Memphis and we don't even have an office for the epilepsy foundation here for the largest city in my state.  It is honestly ridiculous.  I'm not trying to blame anyone, but I am trying to bring this to the forefront so that we can do something simple as what is being done for ALS... the statistics behind our condition are overwhelming when compared to the moneys involved in other conditions.  For example breast cancer research is a multibillion dollar industry yet it is one of the most survivable forms of cancer these days 40k women die from it where as more than 50k people die from SUDEP alone... don't get me wrong I support everything about  cancer research, but we as epileptics are the most underfunded group when it comes to long term conditions.  All ideas are welcome.  We need to start yesterday.  

Sincerely,

Kyle Yates

kyle.yates38@gmail.com