You may have heard the old saying to “keep it under your hat”
It means to keep something a secret. Brain tumors can manifest in many different ways, but oftentimes you would never know by looking at someone that they were affected. Our mission is to spread awareness by sharing the stories that are “hidden under our hats”.
We want the secret out.
Each hat in our collection represents a person who has been affected by a brain tumor. We want to take off our hats and toss them in the air – be it in celebration or frustration, or maybe a bit of both.
Our wall of hats, makes up only 0.1 % of that number.
Nearly 80,000* people will be diagnosed with a primary brain tumor THIS YEAR. One hat from our collection represents roughly 80+ people who will receive that diagnosis.
How it started
“Hidden Under our Hats” was a National Brain Tumor Awareness Project that was sponsored by the Brain Tumor Action Network (BTAN) in 2004 in preparation for Brain Tumor Awareness Week.
The traveling exhibit contained more than one-thousand hats. The hats - created by patients, family members, and caregivers - represented brain tumor survivors and those who have lost their battle with the disease. The hats have appeared at fundraisers, conferences and treatment centers across the country. The hats were presented annually at the Florida Brain Tumor Association conference and guests looked forward to seeing them each year.
In 2016 the hats were gifted to the Gray Matters Foundation.
*Statistics from the American Brain Tumor Association.
New Beginnings
In 2018, at the Gray Matters Foundation’s “Cheers to 20 Years” gala and fundraiser we dusted off the hats and put them on display for the first time in Arizona. Our display spanned over 500 square feet and was filled with hundreds of hats. Just a small sample of those in the collection.
How YOU can help spread awarenes
Share your "Hidden Under Our Hats" Story
Though we are not accepting new hat contributions at this time, we encourage you to create your own tribute hat and share a photo and your story with us on social media. Let's spread the awareness!
Don't forget to @tag us and share with the hashtag
#hiddenunderourhats
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A Gray Matters Foundation Project
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