June is Brain Injury Awareness Month in Canada: Entertain, Educate, Legislate

    GATINEAU, QC, May 30 /CNW Telbec/ - June is Brain Injury Awareness Month,
a national effort to help all Canadians become more aware of the causes of
acquired brain injury and its prevention. Year-round, the Brain Injury
Association of Canada (BIAC) spearheads ways to teach people how to protect
their brain and those of their children. During Brian Injury Awareness Month,
BIAC will be organizing various events and activities designed to entertain,
educate, and legislate. In July, BIAC will hold its sixth annual, three-day
conference, with the theme Successful STEPS (STrategies for Education,
Prevention and Support), and will award two national bursaries.

    Brain Injury Awareness Month 2009

    Entertaining & educating

    - The Great Canadian Barbecue... BIAC invites all Canadians to host
      barbecues in their backyards, a park, campground, parking lot, or
      anywhere friends, work colleagues, and family can be brought together.
      BIAC will provide speakers to talk about brain injury prevention, while
      brain injury survivors will inspire change with his/her success story.
      The format is whatever is comfortable. BIAC can also supply its logo
      for BBQ event signs or banners. Interested organizers should contact
      harry.zarins@biac-aclc.ca.

    - The Brain Injury Association of Nova Scotia will be hosting their
      Annual Golf Tournament (June 15, Brightwood Golf and Country Club).

    - The Brain Injury Society of Toronto will be organizing a Brain Injury
      Prevention Rally (June 18, noon-2pm, Nathan Philips Square) with an
      evening reception at Toronto's Hard Rock Cafe (5-8pm).

    - In June, Alberta brain injury survivor, Ian Young, will be riding VIA
      Rail across Canada, stopping in selected towns and cities to bring his
      acquired brain injury story and message of prevention. Go to
      www.biac-aclc.ca for more information about the voyage and to learn
      more about Ian (Happening Now section; story, "Glenrose Patient
      Rewarded for Courage").

    Brain Injury Awareness Month 2009

    Legislating

    - BIAC asks all Canadians to support Private Members Bill C-289 by
      writing to the Public Health Agency of Canada to explain that they want
      all helmets sold in this country to adhere to the highest standards
      possible, as developed by the Canadian Standards Association. The bill
      would amend the Hazardous Products Act, so as to prohibit the
      advertising, sale, or import into Canada, of recreational snow sport
      helmets that do not meet a national standard. The amendment is being
      re-introduced by the Honourable Dr. Hedy Fry (Vancouver Centre). For
      more information about Bill C-289, the issues involved, and how
      Canadians can support Dr. Fry's efforts, please visit www.biac-aclc.ca.

    6th Annual BIAC Conference (Pierrefonds, QC; July 10-12)

    Successful STEPS (STrategies for Education, Prevention and Support)

    Join us at Villa Saint Martin, along the banks of the Des Prairies River,
for BIAC's 6th annual three-day conference. Highlighted by a Friday evening
Hawaiian Oyster Odyssey, the weekend is an invaluable opportunity to exchange
ideas and participate in informative presentations, as hosted by many renowned
brain injury professionals and survivors. For more information, and to
register, visit www.biac-aclc.ca/en/annual-conference.

    National Bursary Program

    BIAC will award its two $2,000 bursaries at the Successful STEPS Annual
Conference (Pierrefonds, QC; July 10-12), which help Canadian acquired brain
injury survivors pursue educational opportunities in an English or French
post-secondary institution or apprenticeship/trades program.
    Contributions to the Brain Injury Association can be made to directly to
the Brain Injury Association of Canada (http://biac-aclc.ca/en/donate/), or
through CanadaHelps (www.canadahelps.org). BIAC is funded by the generosity of
donors, as well as sponsors of its national Hawaiian Oyster Odyssey events.
    For more information about the Brain Injury Association of Canada, visit
www.biac-aclc.ca.

For further information: Harry Zarins, Executive Director, Brain Injury
Association of Canada, 1-866-977-2493, harry.zarins@biac-aclc.ca