September and October are two of the biggest birthday months of the year. As families and friends gather to celebrate another trip around the sun, many people are looking for meaningful ways to mark the occasion.

That is why the Cerebral Palsy Research Network is launching Celebrations for CP, a new peer-to-peer fundraising initiative that lets you turn your birthday or any celebration into an opportunity to support cerebral palsy research, programs, and community connections. It is a simple way to put our mission into action: to continuously improve the lifelong health and wellbeing of people with cerebral palsy and their families through high-quality research, education, and community-curated resources.

Instead of asking for gifts, invite friends and family to make a donation to the CP Research Network in honor of your celebration.

Whether you are a parent celebrating a child’s birthday, an adult with cerebral palsy, a family member, or a supporter of our mission, Celebrations for CP offers a simple way to make a lasting impact.

To make it easy, we are providing a Celebrations for CP toolkit with step-by-step guidance, sample messages, social media ideas, and tips for sharing your story. You do not need fundraising experience to participate. You only need a birthday and a desire to help move research and care forward.

Every contribution matters. A $10 donation, a $25 donation, or a monthly gift from friends and family can add up to meaningful support for the work we do together — because we are always stronger together.

Every gift helps the CP Research Network connect researchers, clinicians, adults with cerebral palsy, caregivers, families and kids with CP. It helps fuel studies that answer important questions, supports efforts to improve care, and strengthens the community that drives change. The impact of a donation is not measured only by its size. It is measured by the opportunities it creates and the people it touches.

Birthdays are often a time to reflect on what matters most. For many families in the cerebral palsy community, that includes hope for better treatments, better outcomes, and a future where every person with cerebral palsy and their family has access to the knowledge, care, and support needed to thrive across the lifespan. That is the future we are building — together, transforming life with cerebral palsy, one birthday, one gift, and one connection at a time.

Ask your friends and family to celebrate with a donation to the CP Research Network. Together, we can transform birthdays into opportunities for discovery, connection, and progress.

Download our Celebrations for CP toolkit and learn how easy it is to create your own birthday fundraiser. No matter the size of the gift, your birthday can help make a difference for the entire cerebral palsy community.

Happy Birthday, and thank you for helping advance research that changes lives — together.