Purple bows will be available beginning the week of July 8 at Keepsakes and Memories in Port Elgin, 545 Goderich Street, for $15 each.

Shades of purple will soon be seen on the streets of Saugeen Shores as the fifth annual "Paint the Town Purple" campaign will once again take place throughout the month of August.

In a Liv-A-Little Foundation media release, founders Erin and Chad Little started the campaign five years ago to increase awareness of Cystinosis, a rare disease with which their 9-year-old daughter Olivia Little lives.

Cystinosis is an “orphan” metabolic disease characterized by the abnormal accumulation of the amino acid cystine. As the cystine accumulates in cells, it slowly damages organs including the kidneys, liver, thyroid gland, eyes, muscles and brain. The rare genetic disease afflicts approximately 75 children and young adults in Canada and only 2,000 worldwide.

Purple is Olivia’s favourite colour and as such has become the Foundation’s signature colour. With the help of Keepsakes and Memories in Port Elgin, businesses, residents and local organizations have purchased purple bows and decorated their spaces with all things purple. Over the past four years, over $10,000 has been raised for the Foundation through the sales of these bows.

“When we came up with the idea to ‘Paint the Town Purple’ we originally approached local businesses, asking them to decorate their windows with anything purple they may have had. We were thrilled that in the first year 13 businesses came together to help us raise awareness,” said Erin Little.

Little said that the Foundation did not initially intend for the campaign to raise funds but it has grown organically as more and more members of the community wanted to show their support.

“We just love Saugeen Shores and love driving around to spot all of the purple, often displayed by complete strangers,” Little continued. “By hanging bows we start a conversation about Cystinosis. Conversations bring us hope and lead us to a cure.”

Starting the week of July 8, purple bows can be purchased at Keepsakes and Memories, 545 Goderich Street in Port Elgin. The large purple bows are hand made by owner Chris Swain and sell for $15 each.

“I make the purple bows to help the Little family raise awareness of Cystinosis, raise funds for the Liv-A-Little Foundation and help reach the ultimate goal of finding a cure,” Swain said.

Through educating, promoting and funding, the Liv-A-Little Foundation is committed to raising awareness and funds for the advancement of treatments, with the ultimate goal of finding a cure for Cystinosis.

“The cure is closer than ever before," said Little, adding that human clinical trials for stem cell and gene therapy treatment were approved in December 2018 and a $12 million grant was issued to the University of California to begin the first human clinical trial for treatment in July.

“With these recent developments, there is great hope that one day Olivia could choose to be cured,” said Little. “We could never have envisioned what the community of Saugeen Shores has done for our family," she added.

For more, visit www.livalittlefoundation.com.