2014 proved to be an incredible year of growth for World Vitiligo Day, all under the watchful eye of it's honorary President Dr. Davinder Parsad.

This year, World Vitiligo Day came of age as a truly global event, with coordinated activities on all continents and mainstream media coverage in dozens of countries. What began in 2012 with a few volunteers handing out fliers and a handful of dedicated doctors offering free skin checks blossomed into a global movement with 484,687 activists and over 50 clinics in 17 countries. The campaign set two records of it's own: 225 vitiligo patients seen by dermatologists in one morning at the WVD-2014 HQ at PGIMER hospital and over 800 doctors attending afternoon events.

Celebrations spanned an entire week, featuring presentations, speeches, and events for both patients and the healthcare community. Here are just some of the highlights of the day:

• Chandigarh, India: Planned by the famous architect Le Corbusier, the city hosted TV and movie shows, theater events, lectures, free consultations, and a vibrant parade of forty WVD-branded rickshaws.
• Africa: Vitiligo support groups took to the streets to raise awareness, culminating in a fashion show in Nigeria hosted by the Vitiligo Support and Awareness Foundation (VITSAF).
  Central Asia: Collaborators from Kazakhstan drove a massive awareness and treatment campaign across the region.
• Brazil: Medical students rallied streets of Sao Paolo, raising awareness and educating public.
• Russia: Teams of volunteers, in collaboration with the Moscow Beauty Institute and the Russian Society of Dermatovenereologists, handed out flyers and offered consultations at the new vitiligo clinic.
• United States: VITFriends, Vitiligo Bond and other activists held awareness walks, lectures, and social events nationwide. In Detroit, Lee Thomas featured WVD on the morning show at Fox 2 TV, and hosted a lunch fundraiser with the Southeast Michigan Vitiligo Support Group later. CNN run their own story on vitiligo and WVD.

High-profile celebrities like Winnie Harlow, Jon Hamm, Scott Jorgenson, Holly Marie Combs, and Yvette Fielding became vocal about their experiences with vitiligo, boosting awareness and support. Special thanks to Drs. Mark Lebwohl and Robert Schwartz for their academic support of the initiative. 

These activities underscored the movement's exponential growth and its impact on global vitiligo awareness and support.

Update: History of the World Vitiligo Day