HangzhouMay 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — On May 19, 2026, World Inflammatory Bowel Disease Day, also marking the 10th anniversary of the China Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation (CCCF), CCCF, in collaboration with the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Group of the Chinese Society of Gastroenterology, Chinese Medical Association, and the International Federation of Crohn’s and Ulcerative Colitis Associations (IFCCA), launched a nationwide series of themed activities under the banner “Walking Together for a Decade, Healing You and Me.” Through light and action, the initiative conveyed care and support for IBD patients. The event saw participation from 37 cities, 43 hospitals, 68 volunteer teams, and 58 goodwill ambassadors across the country.
What is Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) includes Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, with unknown causes and no cure. Patients endure long-term physical suffering such as abdominal pain and diarrhea, while also facing challenges like high treatment costs, low social awareness, and strong stigma. As China’s first public welfare organization dedicated to IBD, CCCF leveraged its 10th anniversary to collaborate with hospitals, volunteer teams, and volunteers nationwide, creating a broader public welfare campaign.
“Light Up for Love” City Landmark Illumination Event
Organized by 43 hospitals nationwide, at 20:00 on May 19, over 70 landmarks in 37 cities, including Wuhan, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Suzhou, and Chengdu, simultaneously lit up in purple. Some landmarks also scrolled the message “May 19 World IBD Day,” using a touch of purple in the night sky to speak out for the IBD community, urging the public to care for gut health and support IBD patients.
Local events simultaneously organized activities such as citizen check-ins, science education, and patient sharing sessions, distributing glow wristbands and educational materials to help the public understand IBD and eliminate prejudice.
“Walk Together for a Decade” Charity Run Event
The “Walk Together for a Decade” charity run unfolded as a nationwide initiative, adopting a dual-track model of “online fundraising + offline running” to raise funds for IBD patient support projects. The event recruited “Decade Goodwill Ambassadors” (individuals) and “Decade Goodwill Ambassador Teams” (groups) nationwide, pooling love and strength from all sectors of society to warm IBD patients through running and action.
The foundation provided materials and insurance for local events to ensure smooth execution, while also building a promotional platform to enhance the event’s impact. As of May 20, the event attracted active participation from 68 volunteer teams and 58 goodwill ambassadors, raising a total of 289,000 yuan in donations. Every step run and every act of kindness lit a beacon of hope for IBD patients.
In addition to the city landmark illumination and charity run, the event also offered convenient online participation methods, encouraging IBD patients, families, healthcare workers, and the public nationwide to photograph purple elements around them and share on social media, allowing care to transcend geographical boundaries—from city landmarks to everyone’s social circles. Meanwhile, CCCF launched a story collection campaign, inviting IBD patients, families, healthcare workers, and caring individuals to submit written stories, videos, and photos, sharing real experiences of living with IBD. Furthermore, CCCF collaborated with IBD medical teams nationwide to host large-scale online live patient education events, offline large-scale patient education events, and over a hundred small-scale patient education sessions, covering topics such as disease awareness, nutrition and diet, and psychological adjustment, providing IBD patients and their families with scientific, practical disease knowledge and self-management guidance.
This series of May 19 public welfare activities expanded social impact through “lighting up city landmarks” and united public compassion through the “charity run,” enabling more people to see the IBD community, understand IBD as a disease, and participate in IBD philanthropy. Moving forward, CCCF will continue to deepen its work in the IBD public welfare field, mobilizing more social forces to provide comprehensive support for IBD patients, accompanying them on their “gut journey” with love and warmth, ensuring every IBD patient is seen, understood, and cared for, and wishing every IBD patient a freer and richer life.