SOME of the UK’s most iconic landmarks glowed orange last night – to raise awareness of a rare genetic disease, Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS).
London’s Battersea Power Station, Cardiff Castle, Newcastle’s Millenium Bridge and York City Walls were among the buildings that glowed brightly.
The illusion lasted between 8:30 pm and sunrise, across 38 different landmarks, symbolizing the end of Prader-Willi awareness month in May.
‘Move It May’, a month-long awareness campaign, saw people from all walks of life, including those with PWS, challenging themselves to cover a certain distance through exercise, be it swimming, cycling, running , pushing a wheelchair or any other form of movement.
Nigel Birrell, CEO of Lottolândiathe company behind the activation, said: “The Prader-Willi Syndrome Association is a charity that is very close to my heart and I have long supported the incredible work they do.
“It has been fantastic to see so many buildings across the country being lit up to raise awareness about PWS. We are really impressed with the response.
“And on top of that, having so many people come together to move, walk, swim and even dance across more than 2,700km is a huge achievement for the community, one they should be extremely proud of.”
This year’s Move it May challenge serves as a reminder that movement and exercise are vital for those affected by PWS, but also extremely beneficial for the nation at large.
This year, in celebration of lighting the UK for Prader-Willi, the entire Move it May community covered the number of steps it would take to walk between each orange landmark – over 3.6 million steps, from Dundee to Bournemouth, passing through Belfast.
Prader-Willi Syndrome affects approximately 2,000 people in the UK and is a complex and rare genetic disease that affects men and women from birth and throughout life.
It causes an overwhelming and uncontrollable desire to eat that can be life-limiting, as well as physical and learning disabilities.
The ‘Glow Orange’ campaign was organized by Lottoland in support of its charity partner, PWSA UK and the Foundation for Prader-Willi Research UK.
In celebration, throughout the month of June, the company will match all donations made through the PWSA Charity Scratch Card, launched earlier this year to help raise funds and awareness for the cause.
Jackie Lodge from PWSA UK and Catherine Shaw from FPWR UK issued a joint statement on the day, saying: “This is a huge step forward for our PWS community.
THE 38 BUILDINGS LIT IN ORANGE
1. Spinnaker Tower – Portsmouth
2. Bridport Tower Clock –
3. Trowbridge Civic Center
4. Bristol City Hall
5. Cardiff Castle
6. Swansea Guild Hall
7. Old Joe – University of Birmingham campus
8. The Mersey Gateway Bridge
9. Belfast Castle
10. Ranfurly House – Dungannon, Northern Ireland
11. The Burnavon – Cookstown, Northern Ireland
12. TheBridewell – Magherafelt, Northern Ireland
13. Hamilton Town House – Hamilton, Scotland
14. Caird Hall-Dundee
15. Camera Obscura and World of Illusions – Edinburgh
16. Millennium Bridge – Newcastle
17. Penshaw Monument – Penshaw, Tyne and Wear
18. Darlington Racecourse
19. Middlesborough Town Hall and City Lights
20. The Merrion House – Leeds
21. York City Walls
22. C4DI Building – Casco
23. Bradford City Hall
24. Trinity Arts Center – Gainsborough
25. Green Windmill and Science Center – Nottingham
26. Nottingham Council House
27. St Edmundsbury Cathedral – Bury St Edmunds, Ipswich
28. Southend Civic Center
29. Battersea Power Station
30. Liverpool City Council
31. Renfrew Town Hall – Renfrew, Scotland
32. Paisley Town Hall – Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland
33. Johnstone Town Hall – Johnstone, Renfrewshire, Scotland
34. Weighbridge – Renfrew, Scotland
35. Kings Mill-Mansfield Hospital
36. Chesterfield Royal Hospital
37. Edinburgh International Conference Center
38. Worcester Guild Hall
“Our respective charities have come together, for the first time, for PWS awareness month and thanks to Lottoland, we have been able to make it even more special with the Glow Orange campaign.
“It is vitally important to raise awareness and funds to help our PWS community.”
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story