9th Annual Stuttering Awareness Bursary Program

Virtual Fundraiser

Thursday, October 22, 2026
International Stuttering Awareness Day (ISAD)

Join us for a special virtual fundraiser celebrating International Stuttering Awareness Day and bringing our community together in support of individuals who stutter. This event helps raise funds for bursaries to help people who stutter and others with communication disorders to communicate easier.

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Why Your Support Matters

Since 2018, the NLSA Bursary Program has helped subsidize treatment and equipment costs for children, youth, adults, and seniors who stutter or have other communication disorders.

Applications have increasingly included children and youth with co-occurring needs such as autism, intellectual disabilities, language and learning disabilities, and speech sound disorders.

The cost of private speech-language therapy can be too much for many families, while insurance coverage is often limited.

Due to lengthy waitlists and limited public-sector resources in many areas of the province, private speech therapy can be the only option available. However, effective treatment often requires consistency and a significant number of sessions.

Treatment Costs

Funds raised through this event help determine the number and value of annual bursaries awarded.

The need is much greater than the NLSA can currently meet.

A Shared Responsibility

Access barriers, long wait lists, and gaps in subsidized services leave many people without timely support.

Communication is a determinant of health, and no one should be deprived of their voice because treatment is unaffordable.

The NLSA is committed to reducing these barriers and reaching more families through this virtual fundraising event.

Everyone has a role to play.

Families, friends, colleagues, educators, health-care professionals, speech-language pathologists, audiologists, businesses, community members, and governments can all help.

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Join Our Virtual Fundraiser

Celebrate International Stuttering Awareness Day with us on Thursday, October 22, 2026, as we come together virtually to raise awareness, celebrate our voices, and support the next generation of students who stutter.

There is no registration fee. Individuals, families, and teams can participate anywhere and anytime on October 22.

How to Participate

Choose an activity that works for you:

• Host a 1K or 5K walk, run, or roll.
• Complete the distance all at once or in smaller increments.
• Participate at home, in your neighbourhood, at work, in a park, or at a gym.
• Ask local businesses, family, friends, colleagues, teachers, and health-care providers for sponsorships or donations.
• Organize a bake sale, silent auction, or another fundraising activity.
• Create a GoFundMe page.
• Register, fundraise, and/or make a donation to help provide urgently needed bursaries.

Every activity and contribution helps raise awareness and support people who stutter.

Make a Difference

Your donation can help provide meaningful opportunities to individuals who stutter

Whether you donate, share our fundraiser, or simply help spread awareness, your support makes a difference.

Donate Online

You can make a secure online donation through CanadaHelps.

Every contribution brings us closer to our $10,000 fundraising goal.

Every Voice Has Value

Finding Our Voices celebrates the many different ways people communicate and reminds us that stuttering does not define a person’s abilities, potential, or worth.

Together, we can create a world where people who stutter feel heard, respected, and included.

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Thank You for Your Support

Thank you for helping us raise awareness, celebrate different voices, and support individuals who stutter in reaching their goals.

All voices, no matter how different, belong.

Contact Us

Have a question about the fundraiser or the Stuttering Awareness Bursary Program?

Please contact us for more information.