Vancouver’s Opera Mariposa presents month-long programme benefitting the ME | FM Society of BC
April 30, 2025 (Vancouver, BC) – This May, Canadian artists are rallying the community to support people with chronic and post-infectious illnesses. From May 1 to June 1, Vancouver’s Opera Mariposa is presenting their 2025 Benefit + Awareness Month: an all-digital charity extravaganza featuring art, prizes, and special programming benefiting the ME | FM Society of BC.
May is the International Awareness Month for chronic neuro-immune diseases, and Mariposa’s programming is created by and for people impacted by Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME or ME/CFS), Long Covid, and Fibromyalgia. These complex multisystem illnesses affect millions of people across Canada – and that number is rising, given that they can be triggered by viruses, including COVID-19.
Mariposa general manager Stephanie Ko explains, « As a disability-led company, many of Mariposa’s own artists and community members have been personally impacted by these illnesses. We’ve seen how life-altering they can be – but also how powerful it is when people are seen, heard, and supported. » That’s where Mariposa’s Benefit + Awareness Month comes in: « It’s about strengthening those community connections, while spotlighting some of the creatives sharing these often invisible and invisibilized experiences through art. »
ME | FM Society of BC’s executive director Talia Rose emphasizes the urgency of the cause. « The benefits and advocacy work provided by community initiatives like Opera Mariposa’s Benefit + Awareness Month are essential. The alarming lack of funding and awareness at every level of government highlights significant systemic gaps. It has become vital for us to fundraise to educate our physicians and our community, ensuring that those affected receive the support and understanding they deserve. »
Mariposa’s 2025 Benefit + Awareness Month features digital galleries of art and music, an online tea party social marking the ‘Blue Sunday’ ME/CFS community event on May 18th, exclusive merch designed by chronically ill artists, and a charity prize draw with over $3,000 in prizes. Programming is sponsored by a wide array of local artists and businesses, with 100% of proceeds support the ME | FM Society of BC. The event runs until June 1, and contributions up to $3,000 will be tripled by matching donations.
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Opera Mariposa’s 2025 Benefit + Awareness Month – May 1 – June 1, 2025 online at Benefit.OperaMariposa.com
Event summary: Join Opera Mariposa for a month of digital programming featuring art & music, merch, an online community gathering, and over $3,000 in prizes in support of the chronic illness community and the ME | FM Society of BC.
Access: Digital, available worldwide. Free and by-donation options. Self-paced. Includes English-language captions, lyrics and translations, artwork alt text and image descriptions.
About Opera Mariposa: Opera Mariposa is Canada’s first fully disability-led and run company, dedicated to #MakingOperaAccessible and recognized as « [one of] Canada’s key indie players » (Opera Canada Magazine). They work to create inclusive opportunities for emerging and underrepresented artists, while their internationally-recognized Benefit + Awareness programming has raised over $140,000 to date for chronic illness charities and healthcare programs. operamariposa.com
About the ME | FM Society of BC: The ME | FM Society of BC is a registered Canadian charity working to support and advocate for people living with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME), Long-Covid and/or Fibromyalgia (FM). They work to educate the healthcare community, government and public; provide information and resources for patients and their families; champion issues that impact the ME, Long-Covid and FM communities; and promote state-of-the-art medical research, testing, diagnosis and treatments. www.mefm.bc.ca