Benefit + Awareness Month

Blue Sunday: the Tea Party for M.E.

One of the beloved community celebrations for the ME community is ‘Blue Sunday’, also known as the ‘Tea party for M.E.’ Falling on the Sunday after May 12th International Awareness Day, the idea behind it is simple: help make Awareness events accessible for as many people as possible, including members of the chronic illness community who are homebound or bedbound.

How did Blue Sunday start?

Blue Sunday originated in 2012, when the UK’s Anna Redshaw was seeking a way to celebrate her birthday while being severely ill with ME. Unable to mark the occasion as she had in the past, she asked family and friends to hold a virtual birthday party by posting photos and videos of themselves raising mugs of tea and enjoying cake. As she explained, “It felt so wonderful to feel connected with my loved ones when I was unable to leave the house or have any visitors.”

As May Awareness Month approached, Anna was trying to think of a way to mark the occasion, when many fundraising efforts (such as marathons) were inaccessible to people like her. She remembered her birthday party – and thus, Blue Sunday was born. From its humble origins, it has grown to become an annual event celebrated worldwide, which welcomes and connects many people who would otherwise be left out of many social events. So far, it has raised over £100,000 for ME charities around the world.

Discover the story behind Blue Sunday on ‘M.E. myself and I’.

Ways to participate:

1: Join a community gathering on Zoom!

Join the ME | FM Society of BC and Opera Mariposa for a digital community gathering to honour Blue Sunday, hosted by Society board member Sophie. Bring your favourite tea and a snack – and if you can, donate what you’d typically spend on a pot of tea and a slice of cake in a café. Your contributions will help fund crucial advocacy and support for the ME/CFS, Long Covid and fibromyalgia communities. (You do not need to have one of these illnesses to join in.)

When: Sunday, May 18 at 1:00 pm Pacific Time
Where: Online on Zoom (registration required)

Access info:

  • Automatic captioning enabled (attendees can switch this on or off – here’s how)
  • Includes rest breaks
  • Attendees are welcome to have cameras on or off (default is off)
  • Attendees are welcome to communicate by speaking or via the written “chat” function
  • Photos shared throughout the day on social media, for asynchronous participation
  • Further questions or access queries can be sent to executivedirector@mefm.bc.ca
REGISTER MAKE A DONATION

Invite people to the Facebook event

2: Join in worldwide on socials!

People around the world will be joining in to have a cup of tea for a cause:

  1. Wear something blue (or use some blue decor – get creative!)
  2. Dig out some cups and saucers, or a favourite mug
  3. Bake or buy a favourite treat
  4. Post photos of your home tea party setup to social media with the hashtags #TeaPartyForME2025 and #BlueSunday2025
  5. If you can, donate the price you’d pay at a cafe to our charity fundraiser.
  6. Connect with others online who are doing the same – like, comment and share Blue Sunday posts!
DONATE NOW

Access info: Adapt any steps to make participation more accessible. Donating is appreciated but only if you’re in the position to do so – raising awareness helps as well!

Giveaway rules

  1. Eligibility: Open internationally, except where prohibited by law, to participants of legal age.
  2. Entry Period: The giveaway begins at Sunday May 19, 2024 at midnight, and ends Sunday, May 26, 2024 at 11:59 pm (all times in Pacific Time).
  3. How to Enter:
    • Post a Blue Sunday-themed photo on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter by Sunday, May 26, 2024, 11:59 Pacific Time.
    • Tag the post with @operamariposa and use the hashtag #MariposaBlueSunday
    • Note that your post and/or profile must be set to “public” for your entry to be received.
    • You can enter an unlimited number of times.
  4. Selection of Winner:
    • One (1) winner will be randomly selected from eligible entries, on or around Monday, May 27, 2024
    • The winner will be contacted via direct message on the social media platform where they posted their Blue Sunday photo.
    • If the winner does not respond within 5 days, a new winner may be selected.
  5. Prize:
    • The winner will receive one (1) Blue Sunday art mug from Opera Mariposa, valued at around $27.00 CAD.
    • The prize is non-transferable and cannot be exchanged for cash or other products.
    • In order to receive their prize, the winner will need to fill out a prize claim form and provide a shipping address.
  6. Publicity: By entering, participants consent to the use of their name, likeness, and/or Blue Sunday photo for promotional purposes without additional compensation.
  7. General Conditions:
    • This giveaway is not sponsored, endorsed, or administered by any social media platforms.
    • By participating, entrants agree to abide by these rules and the decisions of Opera Mariposa, which are final and binding.
    • Opera Mariposa reserves the right to modify, suspend, or terminate the giveaway at any time for any reason.
  8. Privacy:
    • Information collected from participants will only be used for the purpose of administering the giveaway.
  9. General conditions:
    • This giveaway is not sponsored, endorsed, or administered by any social media platforms.
    • By participating, entrants agree to abide by these rules and the decisions of Opera Mariposa, which are final and binding.
    • Opera Mariposa reserves the right to modify, suspend, or terminate the giveaway at any time for any reason.
  10. Waiver:
    • By participating in this giveaway, you acknowledge Opera Mariposa shall not be liable for any loss, damage, injury, or expense arising out of or in connection with contest participation, or with use or misuse of the prize.
    • The winner agrees to release, indemnify, and hold harmless Opera Mariposa, its employees, representatives, and affiliates from any and all claims, demands, or causes of action arising out of the prize or participation in the giveaway.
  11. Contact Information:

By participating in the giveaway, you agree to abide by these rules.

Closeup of tea in a rose-patterned Royal Albert teacup, surrounded by a spread of scones, buns and chocolate biscuits on a white tablecloth strewn with bluebells.
Closeup of tea in a rose-patterned teacup, surrounded by scones, buns and chocolate biscuits, on a white tablecloth strewn with bluebells.
ME | FM Society of BC logo with navy blue text and a stylized blue, purple and teal butterfly

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  • Against a light blue parchment background is a graphic of a white mug featuring an illustrated baby blue teapot twined in forget-me-nots, purple flowers, pink hearts and yellow stars with blue bubble letters reading, Blue Sunday. Blue and white text reads, Sunday May 19th - Celebrate Blue Sunday and the tea party for M.E. Plus, enter to win a Blue Sunday mug featuring artwork by Rana, purple heart emoji. Read on to learn how
  • A light blue graphic with a small teapot illustration reads, Blue Sunday. 1 - Wear something blue (or use some blue decor!) 2 - Dig out some cups & saucers. 3 - Bake or buy your fave treat. 4 - Post pics of your home tea party to social media with the hashtags #TeaPartyForME2024 and #BlueSunday2024. Continued...
  • A light blue graphic with a small teapot illustration reads, Blue Sunday. 5 - Enter to win a Blue Sunday mug by tagging @ OperaMariposa and #MariposaBlueSunday on your post as well. (Rules: BlueSunday.OperaMariposa.com) 6 - If you can, donate the price you'd pay at a cafe to charity. 7 - Connect with others online who are doing the same!

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