This week, about 350 Lyme advocates from 45 states donned their special green neck scarves and contacted Congress through Zoom.

Members of the group held meetings with the offices of some 200 Senators and Congressional representatives.

It was all part of the Center for Lyme Action’s fourth annual Lyme Fly-In. The yearly event is a chance for members of the Lyme community to educate their elected officials about the need for increased federal funding for Lyme and other tick-borne diseases.

“We are grateful for the hundreds of Lyme advocates who participated,” said Bonnie Crater, co-founder and board member of the Center for Lyme Action.

“The impact of our collective efforts has been significant. Since we started our work in 2019, the federal funding for Lyme and other tick-borne diseases has increased by a total of $259 million over the last three budget years.”

Here are some social media posts from this year’s Fly-In:

California

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North Carolina

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Colorado

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Pennsylvania

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Texas

Louisiana

California

Dorothy Leland and her computer screen

Click here to learn more about the Center for Lyme Action and how you can help advocate for more funding for Lyme disease.

TOUCHED BY LYME is written by Dorothy Kupcha Leland, President of LymeDisease.org. She is co-author of When Your Child Has Lyme Disease: A Parent’s Survival Guide. Contact her at dleland@lymedisease.org.