A Community of Ostomy Awareness

Ostomy Awareness Day and the Run for Resilience Ostomy 5k provide a chance for the community to come together.

We are one community that is stronger when working together to educate the public on life-changing and often life-saving ostomy and continent diversion surgeries. Join with UOAA and make a difference on Saturday, October 3, 2026 in celebration of Ostomy Awareness Day.

We hope you’ll join a community gathering at a Run for Resilience Ostomy 5k event around the country, but there are also many ways to make an impact from wherever you live! You can become a fundraiser and share your story, sign a petition, attend a National Support Group meeting, or share a photo/video story of you and your “ostomy community.”  Check out the Ostomy Awareness Day page for the latest ideas and community events.

Virtual events to celebrate Ostomy Awareness Day

UOAA National Support Group Meeting

Find Community this Ostomy Awareness Day! In honor of Ostomy Awareness Day, United Ostomy Associations of America (UOAA) invites everyone to join us for a special National Support Group Meeting featuring guest speakers Nate Hadlock, our 2026 UOAA Ostomy Awareness Day Champion and Kimberly Holiday-Coleman our 2024 Champion.

The meeting will be on Zoom Saturday, October 3, at 7pm ET. Register here to join or reach out to oa@ostomy.org for more info.

Together, we’ll celebrate the strength, resilience, and diverse experiences of people living with ostomies while creating an opportunity to learn, connect, and support one another.

WOCN Ostomy Education Day 

On Saturday, October 3, Ostomy Awareness Day, WOCN® Society is hosting a virtual Ostomy Education Day. Caregivers, medical professionals seeking CRE credits, and anyone in the public wanting to learn more about ostomy care are welcome to join this free event.

Support or Attend the Run for Resilience Ostomy 5k 

The Run for Resilience Ostomy 5k is a celebration of resilience and a gathering of ostomy awareness supporters no matter how far you can walk, run or roll. Virtual Ostomy 5k participants have gone the distance on a treadmill and by swimming, kayaking, riding stationary bicycles, and even horseback riding! Be sure to share your photos of whatever you do!

You can also donate to support others and help us reach our $25,000 fundraising goal!

The in-person Run for Resilience events are a mix of timed runs and fun runs as well as scenic walks and all are very family-friendly. Registration is still open and everyone is welcome to participate or simply gather and cheer on the resilience of the ostomy community! 

The events are held on scenic greenways and park locations around the country. See if there is an event near you or somewhere you’d like to travel to.

Events are October 3 in (AL, IL, OH, MI, OR) Sunday, October 4 (ID, NH) and Saturday, October 10 (SC).

Celebrate with our Run for Resilience Sponsors

Sponsors add to the fun and awareness atmosphere of our Ostomy 5k events nationwide. Check out new products and visit with company representatives at sponsor tables. Also check your race bags for special giveaways. 

Convatec is proud to be the Exclusive Diamond Sponsor of the 2026 UOAA Run for  Resilience Ostomy 5K.

We’re excited to walk, run, or roll with the ostomy community at in-person events across the United States on October 3, 4, and 10, 2026. Join an event near you or participate virtually from wherever you are. Register for the 2026 Run for Resilience Ostomy 5K.

We couldn’t just celebrate one Ostomy Awareness Day, we’d rather celebrate #Ostober!

Join us on Facebook and Instagram as we celebrate a whole month of ostomy care, community, and resilience throughout #Ostober.

Join more than 450,000 Convatec me+ members worldwide for free, personalized ostomy support, including access to certified ostomy nurses, product specialists, practical resources, and product samples. Call 1-800-422-8811 to enroll or enroll now!

Hollister and Coloplast are the Platinum sponsors of this year’s Run for Resilience Ostomy 5k.

As we approach Ostomy Awareness Day on October 3rd, Hollister Incorporated invites you to share your #OstomateVoices and to hear about your plans to celebrate the ostomy community! For ideas on how to get involved or get a stoma sticker, check out their website.

Show us Your Community! Share Your Photos/Video.

Take time to celebrate those who have joined you on your ostomy or continent diversion journey. Share photos or make a video with your ostomy friends, family, caregivers, support group, and clinicians. Share on social media and please tag and DM UOAA! Use the hashtags #OstomyDay2026 and #OstomyCommunity when you share your community. Not on social media? Reply to our Storyprompt below or email us at info@ostomy.org to join a community collage.

Advocate for the cause!

We are stronger together and our voices deserve to be heard. Please join UOAA and other national stakeholders in our advocacy efforts to keep ostomy and urological supplies out of competitive bidding. Check out our Action Center to sign a petition and  also learn more about the efforts to declare Ostomy Awareness Day in all 50 states!

To keep up-to-date on Advocacy efforts all year long, join UOAA’s Advocacy Network. To be connected to future events and resources and show our power in numbers, become a national member of UOAA.

Everyone with an ostomy is different and so is how you choose to celebrate or educate on this day. Check out all our suggestions on how to make an impact on this Ostomy Awareness Day and beyond. One thing is certain, we are One Community that is Stronger Together!