22q at the Zoo (Toronto Event) 2026
Greetings from the Dalglish Family 22q Clinic.
On Saturday June 6th, 2026, SickKids’s 22q11 Deletion Syndrome Clinic and the Dalglish Family 22q Clinic will be hosting our annual 22q at the Zoo International Awareness Day at the Toronto Zoo. This World-wide Awareness Day Event, spearheaded by the International 22q11.2 Foundation, gives families, friends, and professionals a chance to socialize, network, and raise public awareness of 22q11.2 differences, including 22q11.2 deletion and duplication syndromes.
Please save the date and be on the lookout for program and registration details in the next few weeks. Note: we are having the event on a Saturday this year.
We look forward to seeing you!
Save the Date Poster [pdf]
CN Tower Lights Up in Red for 22q
The CN Tower will light up in red again to raise awareness for 22q on Saturday, November 22nd, 2025!
- Lighting begins at sunset (4:46 pm on November 22nd) and will become fully visible when the sky darkens about 30 minutes later, at about 5:16 pm.
- A standard light show will run for 5 minutes at the top of every hour, followed by another light show on the half hour.
- The night lighting will be visible by webcam on the website of the CN Tower
We chose November 22nd (“22/11”) as a play on the name of the conditions, 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11.2DS or simply 22q) and 22q11.2 duplication syndrome (22q11.2DupS). The lighting of the CN Tower was part of the “Luces por el 22q/Lighting the 22q” international awareness movement that began in Spain in 2018. Buildings in Spain, Germany, Belgium, Finland, and the city of Philadelphia, United States, were lit up as part of the movement on the 22nd of November in previous years. In 2021, Toronto joined this international awareness movement. We continue to be a national leader in providing care for families through clinics at the Toronto General Hospital and at SickKids Hospital, and in internationally renowned research into adult outcomes and genetics.
We invite you and your city/town to join this international movement of lighting up buildings and monuments in red. Some buildings may already have an online system for submitting lighting requests. If you do not find an online form, you can use this letter to request red lighting for Saturday, November 22nd, 2025. Fill in the name of the building and the city or town, then email or mail the letter to the government or organization that manages the building.
Please click the Google Photo links below to see photos from previous years:
22q at the Zoo - Toronto Event
The International 22q11.2 Foundations’ Annual 22q at the Zoo – Worldwide Awareness Day (22q at the Zoo) is an international initiative to raise awareness about chromosome 22q differences. The Toronto event is co-hosted by the 22q Deletion Syndrome Clinic at SickKids Hospital and the Dalglish Family 22q Clinic. The focus of the day is for individuals with 22q, their families and Clinic staff to socialize, network, and raise awareness of 22q in the community. Participants also have the chance to join in fun activities with their friends and families and enjoy a day at the Toronto Zoo.
Our most recent event took place at the Toronto Zoo on Saturday June 7th, 2025. Here are some photos:
Samantha D’Arcy (Registered Dietitian), Dr. Nikolai Reyes (Neurologist), Lisa Palmer (Social Worker), Alice Macgregor (Research Analyst), Joanne Loo (Education and Communication Officer), and Tracy Heung (Research Analyst) on June 7nd, 2025.
Our Clinic staff together with the staff from the 22q11 Clinic at the Hospital for Sick Children and the volunteers at the event.
Rare Disease Day 2025
A disease is said to be rare when it affects fewer than 1 in 2000 people. 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11.2DS, or simply 22q) affects about 1 in 2148 people, so it is a rare disease.
Rare Disease Day 2025 will take place on February 28th. This annual event aims to raise awareness and generate change for the 300 million people worldwide living with a rare disease, their families, and their caregivers. Please check out rarediseaseday.org for more information.
As always, we encourage you to tell others about 22q. Feel free to use the information from our 22q11.2DS Quick Facts page. You can also show them our short animation video introducing 22q!
CN Tower lights up in red for 22q
The CN Tower will light up in red again to raise awareness for 22q on Friday, November 22nd, 2024! Lighting begins at sunset (4:46 pm on November 22nd) and will become fully visible when the sky darkens about 30 minutes later, at about 5:16 pm.
We chose November 22nd (“22/11”) as a play on the name of the conditions, 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11.2DS or simply 22q) and 22q11.2 duplication syndrome (22q11.2DupS). The lighting of the CN Tower was part of the “Luces por el 22q/Lighting the 22q” international awareness movement that began in Spain in 2018. Buildings in Spain, Germany, Belgium, Finland, and the city of Philadelphia, United States, were lit up as part of the movement on the 22nd of November in previous years. In 2021, Toronto joined this international awareness movement. We continue to be a national leader in providing care for families through clinics at the Toronto General Hospital and at SickKids Hospital, and in internationally renowned research into adult outcomes and genetics.
We invite you and your city/town to join this international movement of lighting up buildings and monuments in red. Some buildings may already have an online system for submitting lighting requests. If you do not find an online form, you can use this letter (and technical tips) to request red lighting for Friday, November 22nd, 2024. Fill in the name of the building and the city or town, then email or mail the letter to the government or organization that manages the building.
Please click the Google Photo links below to see photos from previous years: