Registration for this event is now full.
Families receiving care through McMaster Children’s, London Health Centre and surrounding communities are warmly invited to join our Hamilton Family Day Interest List. If additional spaces become available, we’ll do our best to welcome more families.
Join the Interest List.
We know how meaningful it can be for families to connect with others who understand their experiences. We’re working hard to bring support and Family Days to more communities across Canada, and we’d love your input!
Where would you like to see a future Family Day? We invite all families to complete our short survey to share their interest and help shape the future of Family Days across Canada.
Share your Interest in Future Family Days.
Cassie + Friends Family Day is a free, family-friendly event for children, youth, parents, siblings, and families impacted by Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) and other pediatric rheumatic diseases.
LEARN from experts. CONNECT with families who understand. MOVE together as Team Cassie + Friends Hamilton to celebrate our kids and raise awareness.
Cassie + Friends is proud to bring together families connected to pediatric rheumatology care across Hamilton and Southwestern Ontario.
Event Details
📅 Date: Saturday, November 7, 2026
🕛 Time: 9:30 AM – 4:00 PM ET
💙 Free for families – Registration required.
📍 Location: The Hub McMaster University
1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4L8
Family Day will take place in The Loft, located on the 4th floor of the MSU Hub building.
What to Expect at Family Day
This is a full day designed for children and families affected by juvenile arthritis and other rheumatic diseases to learn from experts, connect with people who understand, and move together as a community.
LEARN — Practical information for the whole family
Parents and caregivers will hear from pediatric rheumatologists and other healthcare professionals, with practical information, expert advice and helpful tips for navigating childhood rheumatic disease.
Kids and teens will have their own age-appropriate opportunities to learn too, through guest speakers, activities, games and conversations designed especially for them.
CONNECT — Meet families who get it
One of the most powerful parts of Family Day is simply being together.
Parents and caregivers will have dedicated time to connect with others navigating similar experiences, including our Parent Round Table Lunch.
Children and youth living with rheumatic disease — along with their siblings — will spend the day connecting through crafts, games, group activities and plenty of fun. For some kids, it may be the first time they meet someone else who really understands what it is like to live with a rheumatic disease.
MOVE — Take action together
After a day of learning and connecting, we’ll move together in a family-friendly walk/run.
This is our chance to turn connection into action — raising awareness, celebrating our kids and helping move us closer to a pain-free future for children living with rheumatic disease.
Families who want to go one step further can create a fundraising page and invite friends and family to move with them in spirit — helping raise awareness and funds for kids affected by juvenile arthritis and other rheumatic diseases.
CELEBRATE — Finish the day together
After the walk/run, we’ll return to The Loft for treats, games, prize draws and more time to connect and celebrate everything we accomplished together.
Helping Hands Support Fund
We believe geography or financial circumstances should never be a barrier to connection, resources, and support. The Helping Hands Support Fund provides travel assistance to families who need help attending Family Day.
To request an application, email info@cassieandfriends.ca.
We’re here to help families connect, feel supported, and be together.
What makes Family Day a life-changing experience?
There is simply nothing like connecting and sharing with people who understand your unique experiences and challenges. Family Day brings together children, teenagers, young adults, parents, grandparents, and siblings who know what it’s like to navigate life with pediatric rheumatic disease.
Hear from experts, ask questions, and gain practical information you can take home with you. Family Day creates space to have conversations that may not always fit into a clinic visit.
The connections made at Family Day can become friendships and relationships that extend far beyond the event — people you can celebrate with during the good times and turn to when things get hard.
Because families living with rheumatic disease deserve a day that isn’t just about appointments, medications, or challenges. Family Day is about being together, making memories, celebrating our kids, and having fun.
