Thousands of Area Schoolchildren Celebrate “Matty Hatty Day”

WAKEFIELD, RI – Thousands of schoolchildren across Rhode Island will participate in “Matty Hatty Day,” an annual epilepsy awareness program organized by The Matty Fund on Wednesday, February 11 and over the coming weeks.

“We are excited to have hundreds of students from across the region participate in Matty Hatty Day this year,” said Marisol Garcia, executive director of The Matty Fund. “These events not only help students understand the challenges that their peers living with epilepsy may face, but highlight the importance of helping others and celebrating diversity.”

More than 3,000 students at two dozen participating pre-schools, kindergartens and elementary schools across southeastern New England are scheduled to take part in a Matty Hatty Day event this winter.

Matty Hatty Day was developed by The Matty Fund, Rhode Island’s leading epilepsy resource, in celebration of the life of Matthew Siravo who passed away from a prolonged seizure in 2003 at the age 5. Nine Matty Hatty Day events are scheduled for tomorrow, February 11, which is a week before Matty Siravo’s birthday on February 18.

As part of Matty Hatty Day, students read the book “My Friend Matty,” an educational children’s book penned by The Matty Fund’s founders that describes what living with epilepsy is like. Teachers are encouraged to host a classroom discussion guided by materials provided by The Matty Fund after reading the book.

Matty Hatty celebrations typically conclude with a Matty Hatty Birthday Dance-a-thon where kids put on their silliest hats and dance.

In all, 24 schools are expected to host events over the course of this month and next.

The Matthew Siravo Memorial Foundation is a non-profit organization founded in memory of Matthew Siravo who passed away from epilepsy May 11, 2003. It is dedicated to providing epilepsy awareness through educational programs, aid for epilepsy research and education, and family events and scholarships for those living with epilepsy.

 

 

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