Benefit + Awareness Month

Enter to win over $3k in prizes until June 1

Raising voices for the chronic illness community

Ever since Opera Mariposa started, we’ve held an annual Benefit + Awareness event to raise funds and awareness for chronic neuro-immune diseases. Through the generosity of our community, we’re now in our 13th year – and in 2025, we’re honouring the International Awareness Month for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and Fibromyalgia (ME & FM) with a month-long charity benefit from May 1-June 1

Until June 1, people from around the world can enter to win over $3,000 in prizes, while raising funds & awareness for ME/CFS, Long COVID and Fibromyalgia. There are lots of other ways to join in as well – check them out below, because 100% of proceeds support the our fantastic charitable partner, the ME | FM Society of BC

Access: All online. By donation and free. Includes captioning, lyrics and translations, and artwork image descriptions as applicable. Please enjoy the artistic offerings through the month at your own pace.

The ME | FM Society of BC is a registered Canadian charity working to support and advocate for people living with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME), Long-Covid and/or Fibromyalgia (FM). They work to educate the healthcare community, government and public; provide information and resources for patients and their families; champion issues that impact the ME, Long-Covid and FM community; and promote state-of-the-art medical research, testing, diagnosis and treatments. They are also dedicated to building an inclusive, accessible organization that creates opportunities for the participation of patients, carers and family members at every level. | www.mefm.bc.ca

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (also known as ME or ME/CFS)* is a complex chronic disease characterized by debilitating exhaustion unrelieved by sleep, and symptoms that worsen after even minor physical or mental activity (known as post-exertional malaise or PEM). Classified as a neurological disease by the WHO since 1969, ME affects many body systems, and can cause everything from chronic pain and muscle weakness to heart issues, immune problems, cognitive dysfunction, and malfunctions of the autonomic nervous system (known as dysautonomia).

“Mild” ME typically reduces function by at least 50%, while moderate to severe cases can resemble living with heart failure or end-stage cancer for decades. 75% of people with ME cannot work, and the illness has the lowest quality-of-life score of all common diseases. Prior to the pandemic, ME affected over half a million Canadians and an estimated 17-24 million people worldwide. Despite this, ME is seldom taught in medical schools; up to 91% of patients aren’t even diagnosed; and there are no FDA-approved treatments or cures.

Around 80% of ME cases are triggered by infectious illnesses, and the number of people with ME is increasing exponentially right now due to COVID-19. Several studies suggest that around half of Long Covid patients may meet the criteria for ME. | learn more

*occasionally referred to as SEID, or by the term Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (which some consider outdated).

Long Covid (LC)* refers to cases where Covid survivors experience persistent symptoms, or develop new symptoms and health damage, following an infection with COVID-19. These symptoms can emerge on a delay, and may last for many weeks, months or years. They may also lead to new lifelong conditions, including ME/CFS.

People of all ages and genders can develop Long Covid, and research shows it can affect previously-healthy adults and children; people who have been vaccinated; and those who had initially mild or asymptomatic Covid infections. Conservatively, at least 10-30% of non-hospitalized Covid cases (and up to 80% of hospitalized cases) result in Long Covid, with risks that multiply with each reinfection. At least 1 in 9 Canadian adults and 400 million people worldwide have developed Long Covid as of 2024. The majority have not recovered

Long Covid can cause over 200 possible symptoms, including debilitating fatigue and post-exertional malaise; breathing problems; heart problems; blood vessel damage and clots; immune system damage; reproductive issues; and neurological issues like memory loss. Many Long Covid patients must reduce their work or school hours, or cannot work at all. Due to the ongoing rise in cases, the government of Canada has referred to Long Covid as a “potential mass-disabling event”. | learn more

* sometimes referred to as long-haul Covid, Post-Covid Condition (PCC), or post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC)

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a complex chronic illness that affects over half a million Canadians and at least 2-3% of people worldwide. As one of the most common causes of chronic widespread pain worldwide, it is characterized by widespread burning pain and severe fatigue, and can also cause other debilitating symptoms including cognitive impairment (“brain fog”), digestive issues, severe sleep problems, autonomic dysfunction and more. 

As with ME and Long Covid, symptoms of fibromyalgia can vary not just from person to person but from day to day, and some patients may even appear superficially healthy. Nevertheless, fibromyalgic pain can be unrelenting, and the UK’s National Health Service ranks it as one of the 20 most painful health conditions

Fibromyalgia can also be associated with impaired joints and fascia (connective tissues) – an issue shared with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS), a genetic disorder with which it can co-occur. In fact, fibromyalgia can occur alongside many other serious conditions such as ME, autoimmune diseases, endometriosis, irritable bowel syndrome, chronic migraines, interstitial cystitis and more, and the overlapping symptoms can affect every aspect of a person’s daily life. | learn more

Download a PDF about the charitable cause here.

in support of the
ME | FM Society of BC

ME | FM Society of BC logo with navy blue text and a stylized blue, purple and teal butterfly
  • May 1 – launch of our Benefit + Awareness Month
  • May 12 – International Awareness Day for ME, FM and other chronic neuro-immune diseases. Wear blue and purple to show your support!
  • May 18 – Blue Sunday, the “tea party for ME”. Join the ME | FM Society for a special online gathering, or join people around the world on socials!
  • June 1 – last day to enter our Benefit + Awareness prize draw!

What’s on

Enjoy our Benefit + Awareness Month offerings starting May 1, 2025!

Closeup of Jacqueline Ko, a disabled Chinese-Canadian woman in a black beaded gown, holding a vintage microphone and looking over her shoulder against a misty purple background.

Music & Videos

Join Opera Mariposa’s award-winning artists for studio singles and digital performances, including video highlights from past events!

Art Showcase

Art meets advocacy in these exquisite creations by visual and multidisciplinary artists with ME, Long Covid and fibromyalgia.

Merch

Mariposa has merch! Check out exclusive new items in our Benefit + Awareness collection to support a great cause!

Against a light blue background is a rustic chicken wire gift basket filled with bath and beauty items, including an eco-friendly cleansing set, soothing face masks, microfibre face towel, blue rose candle holder with tealight, bath puff, silicon scalp brush, artisanal soap, gua shah, face roller, vegan lip balm, acupressure balls, sleep mask, Raymond Chow art print, and a bottle of bath salts.

Prize Draw

Enter to win over $3,000 in prizes in support of charity – from gift baskets and gift cards, to one-of-a-kind art and experiences!

UNLOCKS MAY 1
Closeup of Jacqueline Ko, a disabled Chinese-Canadian woman in a black beaded gown, holding a vintage microphone and looking over her shoulder against a misty purple background.

Music & Videos

Join Opera Mariposa’s award-winning artists for studio singles and digital performances, including video highlights from past events!

UNLOCKS MAY 1
Surreal collage of a large shell that has been opened. Inside its base is a light blue bed with a white woman who has black hair and red lips. She is sitting up and stretching out her arms as if she has just awoken from a deep slumber. The roof of the shell is a starry night sky with a crescent moon.

Art Showcase

Art meets advocacy in these exquisite creations by visual and multidisciplinary artists with ME, Long Covid and fibromyalgia.

UNLOCKS MAY 1
Flatlay of bowl of eggs and a lavender cooking apron with an cartoon-style illustration of a spherical white bird nestled in purple and blue awareness ribbons, which form a stylized heart.

Merch

Mariposa has merch! Check out exclusive new items in our Benefit + Awareness collection to support a great cause!

UNLOCKS MAY 1
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.

Blue Sunday

Join the international “tea party for ME”, and connect with community from home or from bed! Plus, enter to win a Blue Sunday mug.

UNLOCKS MAY 1
Closeup of a black condenser microphone, viewed from below, with a high wooden ceiling blurred in the background.

Give Now

Your generosity helps us make an impact for people with chronic illnesses. Plus, gifts up to $3,000 are triple-matched until June 1!

UNLOCKS MAY 1

Thank you to our 2025 sponsors

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