CaringBridge Launches 20 Years, One You Campaign

Eagan, Minn., (April 7, 2017) — CaringBridge is marking 20 years of making health journeys easier with the launch of its 20 Years, One You campaign. Honoring 20 years of supporting more than 675,000 CaringBridge websites with 2.1 billion visits, the global nonprofit social network will highlight the many stories of its diverse users.

Over the past 20 years, CaringBridge has connected people with their loved ones when it matters most. The organization is marking their 20th year by featuring stories from people who demonstrate the impact CaringBridge had on their health journey.

“While CaringBridge has grown over the years and experienced the changes that come with emerging technology, one thing has always held true — the importance of the stories,” said Liwanag Ojala, CEO of CaringBridge. “When someone is going through a challenging health journey, CaringBridge provides a much-needed creative outlet and a way to connect with family and friends. We are thrilled to be able to share more of these inspiring stories as we mark 20 years and look forward to sharing many more stories in the next 20 years.”

Founder Sona Mehring started the pioneering social network in June 1997, ahead of Google and Facebook, when the Internet was just becoming a household name, as a way to pass along crucial health updates to friends and family during challenging times.

The organization started when Mehring’s close friend had a premature baby. Mehring decided to find a way to share news updates online by creating a website, to avoid making dozens of emotional and time-consuming phone calls. As her friend’s baby, Brighid, was born, so was CaringBridge.

As CaringBridge begins its third decade of making health journeys easier, they are inviting families to share their stories. They will feature a number of stories, from those submitted, in honor of their 20th year — emphasizing that every story matters and storytelling can play a critical part of healing.

“Over the past 20 years we have heard so many amazing stories from CaringBridge users,” said Sona Mehring, Founder of CaringBridge. “It has been a wonderful journey bringing CaringBridge into the world and helping it flourish and grow. It is the incredible stories that have been shared on CaringBridge that bring our impact to life.”

David McLain, a National Geographic photographer and documentary filmmaker based in Maine, will be lending his talent to the project, by encapsulating the visuals of the many pivotal stories. For more information on the campaign, visit caringbridge.org.

About CaringBridge

CaringBridge is a global nonprofit social network dedicated to helping family and friends communicate with and support loved ones during a health journey through the use of free personal websites. Their mission is to amplify the love, hope and compassion in the world, making each health journey easier. Nearly 90 percent of all funding comes from individual donors. Since its founding in 1997 by Sona Mehring, more than 675,000 CaringBridge websites have been created. Combined, they have received 2.1 billion visits. For more information, visit caringbridge.org.