BE WELL & ENGAGE - WEEKEND 2026
3RD ANNUAL - BE WELL & ENGAGE WEEKEND 2026
3rd Annual Be Well & Engage Weekend 2026 is a multi-day, immersive wellness and community experience designed for individuals living with autoimmune disease, including but not limited to multiple sclerosis. Rooted in the belief that joy, agency, and community are essential components of well-being, this weekend creates accessible, affirming space for participants to rest, connect, laugh, find joy, and reclaim ease while navigating chronic illness.
Living with autoimmune disease often means managing invisible symptoms, fluctuating energy, medical complexity, and social isolation. Be Well & Engage responds to these shared challenges by offering a holistic, community-centered program that balances education and wellness with moments of lightness, normalcy, and connection.
The weekend unfolds over three days and includes:
Thursday March 12th - An opening night comedy show FUNdraiser hosted by MS-ing Around founder, Kellye Howard-Jue, a stand-up comedy veteran and diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 2013. Curated with care, the night is designed to give people living with autoimmune disease a true night off full of joy while simultaneous raising funds to support and expand MS-ing Around future programming. This event offers an evening of laughter and entertainment in a setting where participants do not need to explain their bodies or experiences. The focus is on normalcy, joy, and being held in community with care and accessibility in mind.
Friday March 13th - "Rest & Reset" A virtual Wellness Ritual building workshop. A check-in with the autoimmunity community. In this space we find an easy transition from a night of joy and laughter the previous night at the comedy show to an evening of relaxation and cozy conversations with like minded peers who understand the daily concerns of someone living with an autoimmune diagnosis. We share tips and tools and energizing rituals that adds more joy and ease to our lives.
Saturday March 14th - A mid-day 'Be Well & Engage Wellness Day Retreat,' which anchors the weekend through intentional programming that supports education, empowerment, and emotional processing. The retreat includes:
Educational sessions led by healthcare professionals and lived-experience facilitators on topics such as autoimmune fatigue, mental health, self-advocacy, and navigating healthcare systems.
Mind–body wellness practices such as gentle yoga, meditation, breath work, and movement options designed for varying energy levels and mobility needs.
Community dialogue and support spaces, culminating in a facilitated therapy-style release circle where participants may share, reflect, and feel witnessed in a psychologically safe environment.
Be Well & Engage Weekend is intentionally diagnosis-agnostic, focusing on the shared lived experience of autoimmune illness rather than disease-specific silos. Participants are welcomed across diagnoses and backgrounds, with a programming design grounded in accessibility, consent-based participation, and respect for individual capacity.
Through laughter, play, education, movement, and reflection, Be Well & Engage Weekend supports participants in reconnecting to joy and ease while living with autoimmune disease, strengthening both individual resilience and community care.