At Mercer Island City Council’s regular meeting on Feb. 20, Mayor Salim Nice proclaimed Feb. 29 as Rare Disease Day on Mercer Island.

This annual recognition is observed on the last day of February to underscore the nature of rare diseases and their effects on everyone. One in 10 people suffer from nearly 11,000 different rare diseases, and 95 percent of them do not have a cure, according to the National Institute of Health.

On Rare Disease Day, community members are invited to “Share Your Colors” of pink, green, blue and purple in solidarity with the 300 million people living with a rare disease, the proclamation reads.